All Along
by Sgt-Slurpy
Summary: Five years after the last adventure of Cardcaptor Sakura, a series of mysterious attacks are set upon Sakura and Tomoeda. Things start getting interesting though when 3 exchange students show up at the high school. What will become of it all?
1. Chapter 1

**All Along**

**Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura!**

**Please review! This is my first fanfiction! xox**

**Wednesday night…5 years after the last adventure of Card Captor Sakura…**

A mist rose from the waters of Tomoeda and crept across the land. It spread like wildfire down the streets of the Japanese town, enveloping the sidewalks and the deserted streets. In a matter of minutes, it had taken over the streets of the town. The mist began creeping up buildings, climbing up them, silent as a winter night. The town slept with the exception of one.

Sakura stood at the brink of a rooftop, frowning down at the dilemma below her. _What could this be?_ Though in her growing concern, she was slightly relieved. _It's been a long time since I've had any action._ She pondered for a moment. _In fact, since my adventures with Eriol, the Sealed Card and…_ She trailed off refusing to bring up his name. She refused to think of him anymore, _His face, his chestnut brown hair, and his glittering amber eyes…_ She would not remember him! Her face screwed up as memories of him and her flashed through her mind.

"That's enough!" She yelled out loud. She shook her head as if to shake the thoughts from her brain and regained concentration on the situation before her. She gazed down and noticed the mist was almost creeping at her feet, swirling and crawling. Twirling the pink sealing staff in her delicate hands, she released the Fly card. Silver angel wings sprouted from her back and in an instant she flew into the damp night sky. _What is happening here? I sense something but I can't put my finger on what it is._ She shook her head, scowling. i I'm out of practice. /i Sakura gazed up at the starry sky. _It's been so long since I flew along the horizon._

Sakura landed on the clock tower in the middle of Tomoeda and scanned the surrounding area. _It's no use. I have no clue where it's coming from._ She slid down the roof and held onto a pillar. _Wait. Mist normally comes from water…maybe its coming from the little lake by the Shrine._ She was about to jump when all of the sudden, she heard a bone chilling scream. Sakura leapt from the tower and shot towards the scream. A wave of panic rushed through her body. _What's someone doing outside at this time of night?_ She found a woman hanging from a tree root on the cliff by the forest in Tomoeda. A wisp of discoloured mist held onto the woman's ankle like a ghostly hand, pulling her down. Hovering over to her, she picked the woman up under her arms, pulling against the troublesome mist and finally lifted her to safety. The woman collapsed on the ground and stared up at Sakura who smiled and placed her fingers over her lips, a sigh of silence.

"The mist grabbed my ankle and pulled me towards the cliff. I would have died if it weren't for you. Thank you beautiful angel."

Sakura nodded and flew away before the woman could utter another word. Though she feared the woman would speak of the 'Angel', she had faith that she wouldn't tell the world about it. Now back to the situation growing below me. Sakura tried to remember what she used when she captured the Mist Card but to no avail. _It's been too long. Damn it!_ She landed on a building downtown and knelt, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"You idiot! What are you doing out here, without me!" A familiar high pitched, Osaka accented voice yelled from behind her. Sakura did not flinch as Kero landed on Sakura's shoulder and continued yelling in her ear.

"I told you to wait but no! Of course the almighty, I-know-it-all, Super-Sakura has to leap away before I even finished my pudding. Teenagers…A guardian beast's cross to bear…Woah! What in the name of me is that?"

"I don't know. I've been trying to figure that out while you've been screaming in my ear." Sakura replied, agitated by the intrusion on her concentration.

Kero frowned and opened his mind to his surroundings. He relaxed and felt a weird sensation rush through his body. _This is something I know I've felt before. An alien magic…foreign…_

"Whatever it is, it's not from a Japanese magician. It doesn't feel like anything I've felt in a very long time. It's definitely a foreign magic. Can you sense the magician's aura?" Kero asked, feeling slightly foolish for not being able to determine the source of the mist himself.

"No." Sakura replied curtly. She wasn't proud of the skills she lost during the 5 years she spent magic-less.

"Use the Mist card and see what happens." Kero ordered, turning into his true form. He flew off the building and landed on the adjacent roof across the street. He paced the length of the roof a few times and leapt to another building. He sniffed the air and growled with frustration. _Why don't I recognise this feeling?_

Sakura released the Mist card and watched it attack the green-grey mist. Like a dog herding stubborn sheep, the Mist card rounded up the mysterious mist and caught it in a huge sphere. Suddenly, a huge crack of thunder projected from the clouds. Shaken, Sakura stepped back and watched a spear of lightning explode from the sky, striking the ball of mist. Sakura ran over to the roof's edge looked down. The mist swirled up the lightning bolt like a twister and disappeared into the clouds. The Sakura Card was left on the ground beside a huge hole in the concrete. Baffled by the last few seconds, she flew down to pick up her card. She stared with wide eyes at the smoking crevice in the ground. _Great. Traffic is going to love that._ She flew from the road and joined Kero on the roof with a bewildered stare painted on his face.

"That was…unexpected." He muttered, shaking his thick mane.

"It's no use. We'll look for the magician tomorrow. Dawn is already upon us." Sakura stared at the rising sun, taking in its regal splendour. Sakura quickly jumped off the roof and flew at top speed towards her house.

"Wait for me you impatient, little girl! I swear…"

Sakura chose not to hear the rest. She new she was being rather moody but lately hormones were raging inside the teenager's elegant body. Obviously Kero didn't understand what she was going through. He was male after all.

Sakura landed in the tree outside her window and listened for any sign of life in the house. After hearing nothing, she slipped into her bedroom window and was greeted by the Mirror in her Sakura guise.

"Thank you for covering for me." Sakura smiled and the Mirror returned to a card and landed in Sakura's outstretched hand. She changed out of her jacket and put her pyjama's back on. The moment she sat on her bed, Kero burst into her room (in his small form of course) and started ranting and raving about her in a hushed tone. Sakura ignored him and shut her drooping eyes, zoning him out completely. She fell asleep soon afterwards.

**c**

**Thursday morning…**

Syaoran awoke in a cold sweat. Again he had the same horrible dream where he and Sakura stood in a deserted parking lot while rain came crashing down on them and the concrete, blurring the vision of a menacing figure with icy blue eyes. Each time he would awake with the cold sense that something horrible was happening in Tomoeda. He swung his feet out of bed and let his head rest in his hands. He was so sick of Hong Kong, living with the Li Clan, constantly getting flocked by Meilin and other pesky girls. Though he was often bothered for not caring too much about girls, he knew his heart was set on only one.

He raised himself from his bed and walked to his window, in only a white wifebeater and boxer shorts. He opened his curtains and stared out at the rising sun. He was always bemused by the beauty of the elegant sunrise. He sat and watched with a distant gaze. _Sakura…_

"Morning Syaoran!" One of his sisters burst through his room and smothered him with a bone-crushing hug.

"Lemm ouuu!" Syaoran attempted to yell but didn't succeed in his sister's embrace.

"It's my birthday Syaoran! What did you get me?" She pulled him even tighter.

"Illlttlllyuuuuuu!" Syaoran screamed into his sister's housecoat.

"Ah. Sorry about that!" Feimei scratched the back of her head sheepishly. Syaoran gasped for breath and gave his sister a reproachful look.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He growled, "Why are you up so early? Its 5:52 for goodness sake."

"Cause it's my 18th birthday. I'm an adult now!" Feimei raised her head up high, her eyes glittering like the sun on the water, "There's no stopping me now! I'm as free as a heron!"

Syaoran scowled and shoved his sister out of his room, "I'll give your present to you later." He locked the door after seeing Feimei out and collapsed onto his bed. He reached under the bed frame and pulled out a box. He opened it and pulled out a pink kimono, embroidered with a yellow dragon spanning from the waist to the trim at the bottom. _It would probably look better on Sakura. What am I thinking? Even if I do go back, nothing between her and I will ever be the same._ He sighed, feeling stretched. _I'll have to go back to Tomoeda soon. Maybe there I can see what my dreams really mean. _

Syaoran folded the kimono carefully and placed it into the gift-box. He tucked it under his bed and collapsed onto his mattress. He fell asleep soon after, his dreams plagued by icy blue eyes.

**c**

"I'm going to be late!" Sakura ran down the stairs of her home and dashed into the kitchen. Her father was there, eating his food happily, daydreaming.

"Ohayoo!" Sakura exclaimed with a smile on her face, "Hello mother!" She stopped by the picture of Nadeshiko and stared for a moment, taking in her stunning beauty. Only a few days ago, Tomoyo's mother had said again that she resembles Nadeshiko more and more every time she sees her but she highly doubted she would ever be as gorgeous as her mother was.

"Your breakfast is on the table." Sakura's father Fujitaka said, waking Sakura from her reverie. Sakura ran to the table and gobbled down her food. He watched Sakura with an amused look on his face. _She becomes more like her mother everyday._ He sighed. _I wonder what she would say if she knew just how much Sakura has turned into her. _

"I'll see you tonight Dad! I have to rush to school. I have cheerleading practice." With that she snatched her baton and her bag from the floor and dashed out the door. She strapped on her roller skates and zoomed down the street. On the way, she saw an old friend.

"Yukito!" Sakura skidded to a stop beside him and smiled brightly, "A beautiful day is it not?"

"Sakura! It is an exquisite day! Off to school?"

"Hai. Where are you off to?"

"College. Another day of studying." Yukito sighed, "Have fun today! Oh wait." He was silent for a moment, "Come over after school and bring Kero. Yue has something to say."

"Hai. See you later." Sakura skated away; knowing that what Yue wanted to say was about the mysterious mist last night. Without a second thought, Sakura rushed down the road to her school. _Yukito is so happy…he never ceases to amaze me. Though lately he has been very much in la-la land. He daydreams so much. I wonder if he's talking to Yue._

"Ohayoo!" Sakura called as she passed she passed a few friends. She slowed down and stopped for a moment to speak with them.

"Did you hear about the big hole in the middle of the road downtown?" A girl named Beniko asked everyone.

"Yeah. It's causing a huge mess and traffic is really backed up." Another girl named Maori replied.

"My father works in construction. He's fixing that big hole as we speak. He told me that it looked like a moon rock fell from the sky and created a crater." Maori's over-exaggerating boyfriend Teruhiko ranted, "Have you heard about it Sakura?"

"Um, no! Haven't heard a thing about it!" Sakura replied sheepishly, "Well I better get to school! There's a cheerleading practice I must attend to!" Sakura skated away as quickly as she could and let out a relieved sigh. _Hoe, I hope it didn't cause too much trouble._

Sakura arrived at school and quickly put her things in her locker. She dashed down the hall and into the gymnasium where all her fellow cheerleaders were warming up. She ran in and twiddled her baton as inconspicuously as she could. She didn't want to be caught again for being late.

Luckily she wasn't caught and the practice went along smoothly. She didn't mess up, to everyone's surprise especially during the part where the boys throw Sakura in the air and she has to do two front flips. It wasn't exactly Sakura's choice to do such a dangerous stunt but she knew she was basically the only one capable of pulling of such a feat in the whole squad. She secretly thanked being a Card Captor for that.

After practice, Sakura arrived and settled in homeroom. Around her, girls and guys were mingling together, acting like regular flirtatious teenagers. A pang of jealousy stabbed her in the heart. _Why don't I ever flirt?_ Unfortunately she knew the answer to that question. _I'm gonna have to get over him soon or else I'm going to rot away on a memory._ She shuddered at the thought.

"Ohayoo Sakura!" A familiar Jasmine scent wafted in the air and a pair of arms hugged Sakura from behind.

"Tomoyo! Isn't it a beautiful day?" Sakura gazed out of the window at the glorious sunshine reflecting off the cherry blossom trees in the yard. Tomoyo rested her chin on Sakura's shoulder and admired the view.

"Yes, it's splendid outside. It's quite unusual for this time of the season. Its only early spring!" Observed Tomoyo who then let go of Sakura and sat down in the desk beside her.

"Attention students! Class is about to begin!" Terada-sensei announced his crisp voice loud and clear. The students settled down and readied themselves for another day of schoolwork.

**c**

"Good morning Syaoran. Sleep well?" Syaoran's mother Yelan smiled as Syaoran sat at the large eating table. Immediately he was served a hearty breakfast.

"No." Syaoran replied curtly, "I'm having some very horrible dreams. Something bad is going to happen in Japan." He sighed and started eating his breakfast.

"Are you sure? How long have you been having this dream?" Yelan asked, sounding concerned.

"About a week. If you will grant me, I'd like to go back and sort this out."

"I suppose. You can leave on the weekend if you desire. I'll have Wei accompany you but you must return between two weeks time and I mean that."

"What if that amount of time is not enough?"

"Oh I'm sure Sakura will do fine by herself." Syaoran continued eating his meal in silence. _How did she know that Sakura has something to do this? Who knows, she is my mother after all._

The day passed as normal. A day of school, then a martial arts lesson with his Sensei, dinner, a magic lesson and then bed. It was starting to get really boring, the life of the boy who has to make up for losing the Clow Cards. Now he was enduring severe training to be the next leader of the Li Clan. He was looking forward to the weekend, only 2 days away.

"Happy birthday Feimei!" Yelan smiled warmly, handing her youngest daughter a gift-wrapped box. Feimei opened the box and found a sapphire pendant on a silver chain. Delighted, Feimei embraced her mother and had her older sister, Xuehua fix the clasp around her neck. Next, Fudie gave her a fancy caligraphy set, Xuehua gave her a pair of pink shoes Feimei had been meaning to buy and Huanglian bought her a set of 8 ribbons, all different shades of her favourite colours, purple and blue. Finally came the time where Syaoran was to give Feimei his gift. He handed her the box carefully and awaited her to open his gift. Feimei opened it and stared aghast at the elegant kimono folded inside. She pulled it out and held it to her body.

"Its beautiful! You're such a cute brother!" Feimei jumped on Syaoran and squeezed him tightly.

"You're welcome." He gasped, finding it very hard to breathe with her squishing him.

It was a comical sight. A seventeen-year-old boy getting squashed by his older sisters who love him dearly. _It's sad, knowing that he hates being here and would rather be with Sakura,_ observed Fudie silently. When her mother had told her that Syaoran would be off to Japan on the weekend, she had been secretly relieved. _Maybe after seeing the changes they've gone through he'll get over her and get on with his life._

That night, Syaoran laid in his bed and stared out his window at the obnoxious lights of Hong Kong. _There's no chance I'll miss those when I go to Japan. I just hope I sort out what need to be attended to before the stupid Clan drags me back here._ He frowned at the way his life was being carried out and closed his eyes. _If only I could rid myself of this responsibility…if only._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Danger Written In The Stars**

**Two weeks ago…in a smoky bar, St. Petersburg, Florida…**

"My bet is impossible. Pfft. You couldn't possibly pull something off like that. You aren't that powerful." A young man, about 25, spat. He sat with two other men at a table in a dark corner.

"You shouldn't underestimate the great magician Orion. He's capable of more than you think." An older man in his mid-fifties said with a cunning look in his eyes.

"But that of all things! Nico you can't seriously think a mere mortal can pull off such a feat." Retorted the young man, drinking half his beer and belching loudly.

"How much are you willing to bet, my drunken friend. The well being of your wife? Your family? Your precious money?" A mysterious man asked. He had a black hood shadowing his handsome face.

"Hmmf. That isn't very nice to say." The young man was beginning to slur his words.

"That's enough drink for you Brandon." Nico snatched the half-empty beer bottle beside him. Brandon gave him an evil glare.

"So what's your price?" The hooded man's silky voice asked again.

"You don't have any real magical powers. It would be unfair to make such a bet."

"Magician Orion, I suggest you show this drunken lowlife the extent of your outstanding abilities." Nico smirked, taking a drag from his pipe. Orion raised his face, clearly showing the amused twinkle in his icy blue eyes.

"I think I will." He turned and spotted a very drunken young man being floozied my hookers. With a hidden grin, Orion pointed his fingers toward the man and closed his eyes. In a gentle monotone, he whispered two words very slowly.

"Agastine Desistre." Time seemed to slow for a moment. A tingling sensation ran through Orion's body. His outstretched fingers quivered and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he focused all his energy on the painstaking task. In an instant, Orion released himself from concentrating and time slipped back to normal speed.

"Nothing happened." Brandon blurted, a few seconds too soon. There was an ear-splitting scream and Brandon stared at the young man, shaking violently and gurgling on the concrete floor. In a matter of seconds, he had ceased moving and a pool of blood oozed from his mouth, his eyes glazed over and lifeless.

"W-what did you do to him?" Brandon uttered, completely shocked and flabbergasted.

"I severed a few arteries in his brain." Orion managed to say, trying to hide the exhaustion that plagued his body and his mind.

"Fine. I believe you. But even if you get them, how will you make them comply with your orders? They pledged allegiance to the one who sealed them."

"You still underestimate. Stop asking questions foolish boy. Magician Orion doesn't need to be bothered with such talk." Nico spat, swallowing the urge to punch the dumb boy's face in.

"Fine 50$ million is my offer." Brandon mumbled, fiddling with the golden chain around his neck, "You get your 50$ million and then leave me and my family alone."

"Deal." Nico grinned maliciously.

"Wait. What do I get if I win?" Brandon asked.

"I will resign my powers and endure a human life and I'll stop ruining the lives of your loved ones. That was the reason you showed up to meet me is it not? To make a deal?" Orion purred.

"Yes." Replied Brandon who was now tugging at his chain nervously.

"Fine. Our bet is official." Nico shook hands with the nervous young heir.

"When will you be off to Japan?" Brandon asked, snatching his unfinished beer back from Nico. The old man growled.

"Very soon." Orion whispered, "I must prepare the proper guise before I even try gaining control of the Card Mistress. It is getting late. I must leave now and begin preparations. Good evening to you." Orion pushed out his chair and wearily got to his feet.

"How long do you expect you will be?" Brandon tested his luck one last time.

"Stop asking foolish questions you block-headed bastard!" Nico fumed.

"Be calm Nico." Sometimes he felt deeply concerned for his ageing friend. His violent streak gets out of hand too often, "I will return as soon as I obtain the cards. But do not expect me back too early. I plan to make the Card Mistress suffer miserably before I extinguish her, play around with her before I cut the cord to her existence. It's been a while since I've had any fun. I will call you when the cards are in my grasp. Until we meet again." Orion and Nico left the bar; barely giving the very dead man a glance. Brandon stared wide-eyed at the corps on the ground and thought long and hard about what he had gotten himself into.

**c**

**Thursday…**

"Cerubus, Sakura. I am glad you came to speak with me." Yue spoke softly yet emotionless, "What I have to say deeply concerns the strange happenings in Tomoeda."

"Well wasn't that a little obvious?" Kero grunted. Ignoring Kero's comment, Yue continued.

"Yukito keeps having the same dream over and over again. They involve a young magician. I sense his magic is what caused all the trouble last night."

"Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing a boy in my dreams a few nights ago. That's definitely no coincidence." Sakura leant against the wall of Yukito's home and thought back to her dream, "Then I heard someone yell out, a voice terribly familiar yet a voice I can't recall hearing before. And then I saw…" Sakura broke off and looked away, careful not to meet Kero's constant gaze.

"Syaoran." Yue finished the sentence for her, "He appeared in the dreams of Yukito too."

"What's the 'kid' doing in your dreams? I thought he left for good." Kero grumbled. Yue shot a glance at him and suddenly he could hear Yue's voice in his mind. I '_You knew he would come back. Their destinies together are inevitable.' /I _

Kero sighed, I _'Yeah but him of all people.' /I _

"Hello!" Sakura waved her hands in front of Yue's and Kero's faces, "Why don't you include me in your heated conversations too." Yue and Kero both glared at poor Sakura who started feeling a little nervous and small under their gaze.

"W-what's the matter?" she asked, her voice strangely high pitched.

"Nothing. Just the inevitability of your destiny." Kero mumbled.

"Huh?" Sakura looked as confused as a toddler would be doing algebra.

"What we must concentrate on is the task ahead of us, this mysterious magician," Yue said, strategically changing the subject, "and how we will defeat this new magic. He's proven himself already that he is a powerful magician, defeating a Clow card."

"Yeah. He's definitely powerful." Sakura replied, still staring at Kero.

"Time is running short. I'll keep you posted on Yukito's dreams." With that, Yue transformed into Yukito.

"Hello Sakura, hello Kero. Would you like some tea? I'm feeling rather famished right now." Yukito smiled widely and gestured to the kitchen.

"Definitely." Kero replied with a cheeky grin and followed Yukito to the kitchen.

**c**

**Saturday…**

The airport was as crowded as ever. People of all cultures and backgrounds flocked the tunnels, hangers and waiting areas. With Wei at his side, he manoeuvred through the tight crowds of people and finally to the exit of the airport. I _Oh Japan! You don't know how excited I am to see you again/I _Syaoran grinned widely and took in his surroundings. It had been to long since he had seen the cherry blossom tree in their full glory.

Syaoran and Wei climbed into a taxi and they were off to Tomoeda. As they drove through the city, Syaoran stared out his window expressionless. I _Since when was that building there? There is a lot more people here than I would have imagined. Look at that subdivision. Holy crap things have changed. I wonder how everyone is doing. Will the recognise me? I haven't changed that much. I've certainly gotten a little taller…well maybe a lot taller. And I suppose my hair has gotten a little shaggier and my face has gotten a little longer and I have gotten a wider upper body and…maybe they will find it hard to recognise me. /I _The taxi turned onto the road where his apartment was located on. I _I hope everyone hasn't changed too much. I suppose everyone's gotten a little taller. Tomoyo probably has boys hanging off her left and right. Sakura…hmm. I'll have to wait and see. /I _

Syaoran climbed out of the taxi and stretched his legs. He grabbed his luggage from the trunk with ease and entered the apartment building, Wei not far behind. Syaoran and Wei rode the elevator to their floor and opened the door to their little apartment.

"I think we have some cleaning to do." Wei wiped his finger on the table and examined the build-up of dust. Syaoran sighed and dug out the cleaning supplies from underneath the kitchen sink.

"Well we better get to it." Syaoran replied unenthusiastically, slipping a rubber glove on his hand.

**c**

"Ohayoo Kaijou." Touya taunted as Sakura entered the kitchen on Saturday morning. Sakura ignored the comment.

"Ohayoo!" She smiled at the picture of her mother and sat down to eat the meal prepared by her father that was sitting on the table in front of her.

"Where are you off to today?" Sakura's father asked, emerging from the food preparation part of the kitchen and sitting down across from her.

"I'm going to Tomoyo's to sleepover. She wants me to model some of her new creations." Sakura replied.

"Sounds like fun." Her father grinned and stuffed some food into his mouth.

"You like Kuriyama Kyoko's art don't you father?" Touya asked behind the newspaper.

"Yes. She's one of my favourite artists. Why?" he replied.

"Well, in a few days, Thursday to be exact, she is debuting a few new pieces of art including the much anticipated, "Emerald Eyed Angel."

"Sounds enthralling. I think I'll go to the debut. Any of you care to go with me? I'll treat you all to dinner." Fujitaka offered.

"I'll come with you! What about you Touya?" Sakura exclaimed.

"I'll go." Touya replied simply, hiding behind the newspaper again.

"Well I better leave for Tomoyo's. Were going shopping!" Sakura hopped from her chair and grabbed her purse and her duffel bag and strapped on her roller-skates.

"Today shall be a glorious day!" She said to herself as she skated down the street, her custom Tomoyo-made green summer dress billowing in the wind behind her.

**c**

**I don't own! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hey! I'd love some reviews if you could spare the time because I'd love to know how I am doing. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

Disclaimer I've forgotten twice: I don't own CSS!

Chapter 3: Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Saturday…**

"Tomoyo!" Sakura embraced her cherished childhood friend at the door of her mansion home.

"Hey Sakura! Come in. We'll have tea before we leave." Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hand and brought her into her home and up to her room, "I cannot wait to go shopping! We need to buy an outfit for the upcoming "Spring Fling" dance. Oh how I love this season. The cherry blossom trees, the bright colours, the warmth of the sun." Tomoyo ranted, taking Sakura's hands and dancing in the middle of the hall. Sakura joined in with her happiness and giggled along.

"Hello Sakura!" Tomoyo's mother, Sonomi, exclaimed happily. She embraced Sakura warmly and Sakura returned the hug.

"Hello Mrs. Daidouji." Sakura asked. Sonomi frowned.

"No, no, no. It's Sonomi!" Sonomi scolded lightly, "You look just like your mother. Your hair is beginning to darken just like hers." Sonomi examined her a little more.

"Oh Mother." With an innocent smile, Tomoyo stole Sakura from her mother and she pulled Sakura down the hall into her room.

"My mother loves you so much." Tomoyo announced, "She could talk about you and your mother all day. She thinks the world of you." Sakura smiled, feeling flattered at the comment.

The two girls sat in Tomoyo's room sipping tea and chatting about girly things for a little while until one of Tomoyo's maids knocked on her door.

"Come in." Tomoyo chirped.

"Would you like cakes with your tea?" The maid asked. Tomoyo looked at Sakura who nodded happily.

"We'd love some." Tomoyo answered. The maid bowed and closed the door.

"Cake!" A muffled voice squealed from Sakura's duffel bag.

"Hoe!" Sakura warily opened her duffel bag and out popped Kero with a crazed look in his eyes.

"I heard cake! Where is it? Where is it I say!" Kero flew around the room wildly. Tomoyo jumped up and caught him in mid air.

"It's coming so calm down before someone hears you." Tomoyo scolded, holding Kero by the waist in front of her face. Kero struggled for a moment and then relaxed in her grasp.

"Why did you come?" Sakura jabbed her finger in Kero's face angrily.

"With that new magician around, I thought I'd tag along just in case you get in any danger." Kero replied simply. Tomoyo let him go and he flew over to a throw pillow on Tomoyo's bed, "So I hear you ladies are going shopping."

"Yes, were going to buy an outfit for the spring dance." Tomoyo replied, sipping her tea.

"Dance? Sakura never mentioned that." Kero glared at Sakura. She stared back evilly.

"Yes, its in two weeks." Tomoyo smiled. There was a knock on the door. Kero dived under the pillow he was sitting on and Tomoyo let the maid in.

"Fresh cakes from the bakery." The maid set her tray down and put three cakes in front of them.

"Why did you bring three?" Tomoyo asked.

"Well, whenever Sakura is over you always ask for three of everything. So I just figured you would want three." The maid replied sounding flustered.

"Thank you! I'm glad you remembered my request!" Tomoyo smiled trying to makeup for her forgetfulness.

"Your welcome." The maid left the room quickly and Kero emerged from under the pillow.

"Yes! A cake for me!" Kero dived down by the cake and devoured half of the iced delicacy before Tomoyo or Sakura could say 'Syaoran.'

_Syaoran? Why can't I get him off my mind? _Sakura zoned out for a moment and stared out into space. Tomoyo noticed and set a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Anything the matter?" Tomoyo asked with concern. Sakura woke from her reverie and smiled falsely.

"Yes, I'm fine." She lied through her teeth.

"You're a horrible liar Sakura." Tomoyo said seriously. Sakura sighed, giving in.

"It's him." Sakura whispered, looking away. She took her fork, scooped a piece and put it in her mouth. Kero looked up from his almost eaten cake with pure evil in his eyes.

"Who?" Kero growled, flying over and staring her down.

"Hoe!" Sakura squealed, waving him away. Tomoyo stared at her with sympathetic eyes. _True love never dies… _Tomoyo thought to herself, knowing that she never really got over a certain someone either.

Kero flew over to his cake and resumed eating, still quite suspicious of whom she was thinking of and yet he knew very well who it was that plagued her mind. Sakura ate the rest of her cake with a slight blush in her cheeks and Tomoyo just stared at them both, wondering how the hell they got along at home.

After about 10 minutes or so, Tomoyo, Sakura and Kero set off for the mall. Tomoyo's bodyguards drove them in Tomoyo's fancy limousine to the building and they dropped them off at the door. They stepped out and Tomoyo set a time for her bodyguards to pick her up. Smiling widely, Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hand and they ran into the mall.

"I love shopping." Tomoyo smiled, looking in at every store they passed.

"That's cause you have so much money! You could probably buy this mall." Sakura kidded, "Hey that's a pretty store. Let's go in." Sakura entered a store on their right and browsed the racks and tables.

"Try on this!" Tomoyo laughed as she picked up a shirt that barely qualified as a shirt. It was very low cut and showed the midriff. Sakura laughed along with her.

"I don't think so Tomoyo." Tomoyo put on a playful pout and put the shirt back on the table.

The inseparable pair moved from store to store in such fashion, making jokes, talking about girly things and trying on a dress or two every once and a while. Sakura forgot about the troubling things in her lives as she carried on with her best friend, feeling free as a heron. It wasn't until they were walking past the grocery mart on their way to the food court that the great burden was dropped on her shoulders again.

"My that boy has a nice chest." Tomoyo remarked as a tall, well built boy with tousled brown hair and amber eyes walked out of the grocery mart. His shirt was buttoned down enough so that you could catch a glimpse of his chest, "Funny that boy looks a lot like-" Tomoyo stopped in mid sentence. She knew Sakura realised exactly whom he looked like.

Sakura stared awkwardly at the boy. His arms were sculpted and his chest was remarkable. If only it was whom she wished it was.

The boy walked away and disappeared among the crowd. Thinking quickly, Tomoyo grabbed Sakura and turned her towards a shop full of plush animals. Sakura's face suddenly lit up and she ran into the store and embraced a furry stuffed dog. Then she dropped that and ran over to a pile of plush kittens. Tomoyo let out a relieved breath and followed Sakura in with a wide smile on her gorgeous face.

Fifteen minutes later, Sakura and Tomoyo came out of the store with a plush toy each and happy smiles on their faces.

"I never knew that store was there!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Neither did I. It's a pretty small store too yet the owner sure packed a lot of toys in there. Everything in there is so kawaii." Tomoyo replied.

"Touya will probably kill me. He'll say that I have enough stuffed animals and that I don't need anymore. I'll have to hide it." Sakura said thoughtfully, "I wonder what Kero will think about it."

"I'm sure he'll enjoy the company." Tomoyo giggled, directing her words to Sakura's purse.

"I heard that." Came a muffled reply. Tomoyo and Sakura laughed as they walked away, towards the food court.

After buying their lunch and finding a secluded table to sit, Sakura let Kero out of her purse and made him stand behind the napkin holder so he couldn't be seen.

"You girls buy a dress yet?" Kero asked, stealing a bite of Sakura's sushi. Sakura swatted him on the head.

"No, not yet. We've been through most of this mall and we still haven't found the perfect dress. Hopefully we'll find something." Tomoyo sighed and took a sip of tea.

"I'm sure you'll find something perfect Tomoyo. You look good in basically everything. I on the other hand…" Sakura frowned and rested her chin on her hands.

"Sakura, don't say that. You are beautiful and you have a figure most American girls would die for." Tomoyo smiled and patted Sakura's hand, "Now eat up. We have to get going to find that perfect dress."

Sakura smiled and continued eating her sushi. The pair were almost done their food when all of the sudden, a piece of paper came floating from above and landed in Sakura's lap.

"What's this?" Sakura mumbled, picking up the charred piece of parchment.

"That's odd paper for this day and age." Kero remarked peeking from behind the napkin holder, "Flip it over, there's something on the back." Sakura did just that.

"What is it?" Sakura blurted out. Tomoyo came over and frowned.

"It's a pentacle." She said simply.

"Open it." Kero tapped his foot impatiently.

"Alright." Sakura warily opened the parchment and ran her eyes over the characters written by scratchy quill.

"Its definitely English." Sakura remarked.

"Maybe someone who can actually read English well like me should read it." Kero snatched the parchment from her hand and stuck it on the table. He read out loud.

"**_Sakura, _**

_**Earth, wind, fire and ice**_

_**Your town will pay an awful price**_

_**To the wizard you won't point thumbs**_

**_Something wicked this way comes._**" Kero finished the last line with darkened eyes. This was not a good sign.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tomoyo mumbled, playing with her thick hair.

"Hmm, I don't know." Sakura got up from the table and grabbed her bag, "I think we should leave the mall now. I don't like the aura I'm feeling." Kero jumped into Tomoyo's handbag and Tomoyo followed Sakura who was making quick ground out of the food area.

Upon the second level a young woman chuckled with a feline grin. _It is time. _

**c**

Sakura was still very uneasy when Tomoyo's bodyguards came to pick her up. She got into the limousine and remained silent the whole time. Kero wasn't being too social either. Tomoyo felt kind of out of place knowing that she could not feel this mysterious aura but beside that, she would try her hardest to try and figure out the inscrutable poem.

They got to Tomoyo's home and they went straight to Tomoyo's room, all three of them now in deep thought. Sakura collapsed on Tomoyo's bed, Kero laid down beside her and Tomoyo sat upon her couch. Suddenly it struck her.

"You've been talking about a mysterious wizard right?" Tomoyo piped up wildly.

"Yes." Sakura and Kero replied slowly, not sure what Tomoyo was getting at.

"Well I think the poem means this. When were trying to figure out the guise of this wizard, we won't suspect the culprit." Tomoyo announced, beaming with pride.

"You're right. That certainly fits. But what about the first two lines?" Kero said with a pondering face.

"I think this magician is going to do horrible things to Tomoeda, with elements it seems." Sakura replied.

"You don't think the mysterious magician wrote this to you do you?" Tomoyo asked.

"No. I would think this magician would have taken greater care of hiding its aura." Sakura replied, feeling rather stretched. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Dinner is ready Miss." A maid popped her head into the room and announced the news.

"Hai. We'll be right down." The maid left and Tomoyo got up.

"Let's go eat some food. All that thinking made me very, very hungry." Kero declared, rubbing his belly.

**c**

Orion gazed upwards at the glittering stars in the night sky as he sauntered down the sidewalk in Tomoeda. He wore his normal guise, a simple black cloak covering him from head to toe and living in his proper age. Wednesday night was draining for him but just as he wanted, he drew the Card Mistress out of hiding along with her Sun Guardian Cerberus. It was quite a sight, watching the winged Mistress fly from building to building, attempting to find his well-hidden aura. He was expecting a little more power and skill coming from the Card Mistress. _She'll be an easy victim to my snare. _Orion snickered evilly and continued walking down the deserted sidewalk.

**c**

"Mmm…" Sakura groaned, rolling onto her side and opening her eyes. It was morning and the sun was shinning brightly into Tomoyo's spacious room.

"Ohayoo Sakura-san!" Tomoyo smiled, lighting up her bedroom even more. Sakura smiled back and poked her dear friend in the nose with her finger playfully.

"How was your sleep?" Tomoyo asked, stretching her arms.

"Just fine. How about you?" Sakura replied.

"Spectacular." Tomoyo sat up and leant against the headboard of her king-sized bed.

"Don't even be kind enough to ask me how I slept!" A golden blur emerged from the sheets and appeared right in front of Sakura's face.

"Good morning Kero! How was you slumber?" Sakura asked brightly, ignoring his bitterness towards her. Kero scowled.

"Just fine thank you!" He sat on the sheets between them and then smiled, "So what did you dream of?"

"I dreamt that I made Sakura a beautiful gown for the dance…" Tomoyo trailed off, "Oh my gosh that's the perfect idea! I'll make you a dress!" Tomoyo grabbed a pad of paper from her bedside table and jotted down ideas for a dress.

"What about you Sakura?" Kero asked. Sakura faltered for a moment, debating in her mind whether she should say what she dreamt or not.

"I dreamt that I was locked in a plush toy store and they all came to life and became my best friends." Sakura lied, hiding it with a dreamy smile. Kero took the bait and rolled his eyes.

"Typical." He muttered. Inside Sakura sighed with relief. She didn't want to ruin Kero's morning by mentioning the magician and Syaoran in her dreams.

Sakura and Tomoyo got out of bed and readied themselves for the coming day. Suddenly, Tomoyo came out of one of they adjoining rooms with a pile of outfits in her hands.

"I did say you have to try on a bunch of stuff for me." Tomoyo giggled, setting the 12 articles of clothing on her bed. Sakura stared at them all with widened eyes.

"Hoe! Tomoyo you sure have been busy!" She said stiffly, sitting beside the pile of clothes.

"Well, I need footage for my video 'Sakura does Spring'." Tomoyo eyes were filled with adoration. She ran over to the bed and picked up a pink and white frilly lace dress, "Put this on. I want to see if it fits."

For the next hour or so, Tomoyo filmed Sakura in various dresses, shirts and skirts and some very original clothing that Sakura couldn't even put into a category. They ranged in colours too, one was white, and one was black, a few pink and a few purple and other colours too.

"So which one do you like more?" Tomoyo said, putting the three outfits that didn't fit on a chair. Sakura ran her eyes over all the fitting dresses and immediately went to the green dress with the silver trim.

"I love this one." Sakura put it to her body and twirled, "It's so soft too."

"Yes its very soft," Tomoyo rubbed the fabric with her hand, "You seem to be wearing green a lot all of the sudden. Is it your new favourite colour?"

"Oh, of course not. Pink will always be my number one favourite but green is my second." Sakura replied, staring out into space, "Can I have it?"

"Of course you can! Who else will wear them if you don't? They were made for you and you only. Take the ones you like best!" Tomoyo beamed brightly and patted her stomach.

"I'm quite hungry. Would you like to go get breakfast?"

"I'd love too." Sakura replied. The two girls made for Tomoyo's bedroom door.

"Bring me back some sweets!" Kero called as they left the room. Sighing, Kero sat upon a throw pillow and closed his eyes. _That was not an aura of a magician I felt in the mall. It was the aura of a gypsy, a gypsy named Patia. But for some peculiar reason, her aura was different. It was certainly strong but Patia was never a psychic. This aura reeks with it. If I didn't know better, I'd say this is her daughter._ Kero scratched the side of his head thoughtfully. _She told me that if she ever had a little girl, she would name her Chalandra. But then Patia went off to Jamaica and I never heard of her since. She said she was searching for her voodoo-ist grandmother. I wonder if she ever found her. Well, if this is really Chalandra then we will see soon enough._

**c**

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: No Way Back**

**Monday morning…**

"I'm going to be late!" Sakura ran down the stairs and skidded into the kitchen. As she slid over to grab a muffin, she ran into her brother.

"Sorry Touya." She said, looking up at him. For some odd reason he was smiling brightly.

"That's alright." Touya replied, roughing up Sakura's hair. He walked past her sporting an odd, butt-clenching limp. Sakura's jaw dropped. _You're kidding me…_

"You came home very late last night. Where were you?" Sakura asked, trying to prove that he didn't…

"I was over at Yukito's. We were umm…studying." Touya scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Then he turned away and walked up to his room.

"Oh my god." Sakura stuffed the muffin in her mouth and made for the front door. _I can't believe he did IT with Yukito. I'll never be able to look at him the same way again. _Sakura strapped her skates on and started gunning it down the street. _Well he is 24. I suppose he can do what he wants but still…it creeps me out. _

Sakura quickly made it to school at the speed she was going and put her skates in her locker. She got her books out and was closing her locker when she overheard what two girl passer-byes were speaking about.

"…three new students! One is in 11:1, another is in 11:2 and the last one is in 11:4."

"Really? I hope the two boys are hot. I desperately need a new boyfriend." The chatting girls walked away leaving Sakura somewhat awed. _Three exchange students? All on the same day? Wow._ Sakura grabbed her books and walked towards class. She managed to get to class right before the bell.

"Good morning class. We have an exchange student staying here for a while. I'm sure that at least some of you will remember him. Welcome him back everyone." Tanaka-sensei announced, gesturing to the door. It slid open and in stepped in a boy. He was dressed in the school uniform and his biceps bulged from the sleeves. His skin was tanned and his complexion was clear. He was quite tall and had brown tousled hair. His amber eyes were more than familiar; they were what Sakura had been dreaming of for the past five years.

"Hey!" Takashi Yamazaki waved from his seat. Suddenly the whole class started buzzing, girls commenting on how cute he is and boys saying hi and what not. Sakura just stared with eyes the size of plates.

"The seat behind Kinomoto is free. Isn't that how it happened last time?" Tanaka-sensei mused, pointing to Sakura. Syaoran walked down towards his appointed seat slowly, giving Takashi a high five along the way. He reached Sakura and gave her a warm smile. Sakura's heart melted and she suddenly turned very red.

"Quiet down everyone. We have a busy day ahead." The class groaned and puled out their books. Sakura too lost in her own happy thoughts to even care.

The lunch bell rang and everybody ran out of class to their assigned lockers. Sakura was so out in her own little world she didn't even notice when she walked into a wall.

"Easy there. You better look where you're going or else you might fall down." Someone caught her from behind and helped her back onto her feet. Sakura spun around and turned rosy red. There stood Syaoran with a light smile on his face.

"Thank you," Sakura smiled back, trying to keep a calm composure. She faltered for a second, "You're back Li-kun."

"Does that mean I have to call you Kinomoto-san? Sakura is so much more you." Syaoran's sultry voice asked. It had become considerable lower.

"N-no. As long as I can call you Syaoran." Sakura replied.

"Deal. Now come on. Let's have lunch. I have to speak with you about much more important things."

Fifteen minutes later, Syaoran and Sakura found a bench by the soccer field and decided to eat their lunch there. Sakura had sushi and Syaoran had some sort of noodle stew.

"Why did you return Syaoran?" Sakura asked quietly, finding the subject sensitive.

"That's what we need to talk about. What's been happening here?" Syaoran asked firmly.

"What do you mean?" Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"Has there been anything magical happening?"

"Funny you asked. There was a mist that took over the streets of Tomoeda last Wendesday night. I couldn't find the source of the aura. Then I was at the mall and a weird poem fell into my lap." Sakura replied hastily, "How did you know?"

"I kept having the same dream over and over again about a magician in Tomoeda. It was no ordinary dream," Syaoran paused to shovel a spoonful of soup in his mouth, "I came here as quick as I could to see if I could help you sort this mess out. I have a horrible feeling its going to involve the both of us." Sakura nodded and stuck some sushi into her mouth. _She's had become even more beautiful over the years…_

"Syaoran?" Sakura broke him away from his delightful reverie.

"Yes?" He mumbled nonchalantly.

"You're staring at me. Are you alright?" Sakura looked somewhat concerned but inside she was feeling quite flattered.

"No um, I was just, uh, thinking. Do you have that poem with you?"

"Yes I do." Sakura dug it out of her purse and handed it to him. Their hands touched momentarily, sending them both into their own little paradises. A few moments later, they both shook themselves out of it and Syaoran opened the scorched looking piece of paper. He read aloud in English.

"**_Sakura, _**

_**Earth, wind, fire and ice**_

_**Your town will pay an awful price**_

_**To the wizard you won't point thumbs**_

**_Something wicked this way comes_**" Syaoran ran his fingers over the scrawled English characters.

"It's a clue. It didn't come from the mysterious magician. This aura was different."

"This script is very familiar. I've seen this writing once before, a long time ago." Syaoran paused, running his hand through his chestnut brown hair. Sakura gazed at him contentedly. _It looks as if he let it grow a bit, to fit his face I suppose. He's become quite handsome._

"What does Kero have to say about this?" Syaoran folded up the piece of paper and handed it back to Sakura.

"He's very suspicious. Yukito has been having some weird dreams too about this mysterious magician. They're all a little miffed at the fact that you keep popping into his dreams out of no where. It happened in my dream too."

"Me? Like I said, I do have a part to play in this interesting set of events."

"Syaoran? Were you at the mall on Saturday?" Sakura asked hastily, changing the subject rapidly.

"Yes, I was. Did you see me?"

"I-yeah. I did." Sakura trailed off and they sat in silence. A cool gust of wind whipped around the two teens sitting on that bench. It was a sign of what was yet to come.

**c**

"Oh my god." Sakura stood in a bus shelter late at night as the wind moaned all around her. Kero and Tomoyo stood in there too, feeling slightly claustrophobic. Kero took up most of the space with his huge body.

"You're like a big couch." Tomoyo said, trying to lighten the mood. A small titter escaped Sakura's lips but nothing more. She clung to the pink staff in her hands and stared at the darkened sky with anxiousness.

"Akk!" Someone flew sideways in the wind.

"Was that Yue?" Kero mused, "Boy, he'll never live that down." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Kero, this is serious. Poor Yue just got tossed and all you can think about is teasing him?" Sakura shook her head and released the Shield.

"Wish me luck." She gave Tomoyo the peace sign and jumped out into the windy street. The Shield Card stopped a decent amount of wind but her graceful form was still being bullied by the pushy wind. _God damnit. I have to find the source of this storm before it kills anyone. _Sakura dashed down the street covering her eyes with her arm from the wind. _What kind of card can I use to defeat this Wind? Nothing. Crap. _Sakura turned down a street and saw Yue crouched in an alleyway.

"Yue!" Sakura ran towards the winged guardian and sought the protection of the alleyway, "What were you thinking, deciding to fly in this ridiculous wind?" Yue remained emotionless.

"I didn't try. I leaped away from a bolt of lightning and was swept up." Yue got to his feet and folded his one wing behind him.

"This is stupid." Sakura mentally smacked herself, "I can't even sense an aura." Sakura groaned and ran back into the streets. _I'm so out of practice. This is ludicrous. _The wind started getting rougher, pushing the boundaries of the Shield. Getting an idea, she pulled out the Power Card.

"Make me so I can stay on the ground during this wind!" She released the Power and liberated the Shield from its slavering duties. Suddenly Sakura was pushed and pulled by the ghastly wind. She growled and took a menacingly step on the road going to the middle of the city. The offensive bluster was coming from that direction.

"What the hell is going on here?" Syaoran jumped from an alleyway and joined Sakura in the middle of the street. He was struggling to keep himself on the ground.

"Here." Sakura linked arms with Syaoran, whose eyes widened in surprise, "I'm using the Power Card to keep myself on the ground."

"Smart." Syaoran commented, glancing over at Sakura. She was wearing an evergreen costume that consisted of a skin-tight long sleeved dress with a mild v-neck. The skirt ended mid-thigh. She wore matching green leggings underneath and black boots. It bore silver highlights in the fabric, especially on the sleeves and the skirt.

Sakura trudged along, keeping Syaoran on the ground as well. She caught a glimpse of him squinting against the frigid wind. Instead of the traditional Li Clan robes, he wore a simple green suit with the Li Clan symbol by his left breast. The colours of their outfits were almost identical which would probably amuse Tomoyo greatly if it wasn't the terrible circumstance.

**c**

"Where the hell did she go?" Kero grumbled looking out into the wind doubtfully. He was heavy enough to not get blown away but he still dreaded to set foot out of the shelter.

"One, two, I cant believe I'm doing this, three!" Kero leaped out of the shelter and jogged against the bitter gusts toward the source, the middle of the city. He turned the corner and saw a great white blur in the distance. He pushed his thoughts towards his fellow guardian.

'_What the hell were you thinking, flying in this storm? You'll never live this down.'_

'_If you must know, I was dodging a bolt of lightning when I was swept up by the wind.'_

'_I'm still planning on teasing you about it. Where's Sakura?'_

'_She left a few minutes ago. Now, hurry up and get over here. This telepathy is sucking my energy away.'_

Kero grumbled with irritation, "The mighty Yue admits that he is weak. Let's get that in writing." He growled through gritted teeth.

**c**

Tomoyo stood in the gloom of the mildly lit bus shelter. _I've got to do something. _She thought to herself. She shoved her camcorder into her backpack and looked around through the plexi-glass for an alleyway. _There's one! If I run out and find my way to the source, I might be able to catch some of the action! _With an ambitious look in her eyes, she ran from the shelter and into the alleyway with great difficulty. _There's a lot less wind in here!_ Putting a grin on her face, she dashed down the alleyway towards the source of the wind, camcorder ready.

**c**

"This is crazy!" Sakura shouted to Syaoran over the screaming wind. She and Syaoran were still trudging towards the source.

"It is! Why isn't anyone awake?" Syaoran yelled back. He squinted towards their destination. They were close now.

"I don't have the slightest clue! It must be some device of this magician!"

"You think?" The second line in the strange stanza came to Syaoran's mind. _Your town will pay an awful price._

"I see the fountain! Were almost there!" The wind was getting stronger and more powerful. It was only a matter of time.

"What did you get in your wing?" Kero ran into the alleyway and relaxed in the temporary shelter.

"A shard of glass. I'll be fine but Yukito might need stitches." Yue pulled a rather large piece of glass from his wing and discarded it to the ground.

"He'll love that I'm sure." He grumbles sarcastically. _Like I need anymore foul news._

"We need to get out of here. There's a passage to the middle of the city through here." Yue pointed further down the alley.

"Let's go. I'm sure Sakura might need us." Kero and Yue ran deeper into the alleyway and turned onto an adjoining back street. The wind wasn't that bad back there much to Kero's delights. He and Yue started running down the passage.

"Yue! Your wing is bleeding!" A sweet voice came from behind the two guardians.

"Tomoyo! What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!" Kero exclaimed as Tomoyo jogged up beside him.

"I'd rather conclude my life catching footage of Sakura than in a bus shelter." Tomoyo got a passionate glitter in her eyes Kero shrugged in a beastly way and kept running.

**c**

"What the hell is this?" Syaoran blurted out. They stood, pressed up against a building because of the wind and watched as wind circled up around the fountain marking the middle of the town. A silhouette could be seen at the top of the fountain, waving its arms around as if he was conducting a symphony.

"I don't know! It's like a huge cyclone!" Sakura shouted on the top of her lungs. The wind was violent and louder than ever. Syaoran released his Clan jian sword and Sakura held her staff in front of her. She strangely felt more confident with Syaoran at her side.

Suddenly the wind stopped and the figure turned around. Two icy blue eyes stared straight at Syaoran and Sakura with maliciousness. Then, ebony light erupted from his palms and up towards the clouds.

"Oh my god." Sakura whispered as she watched the scene unfold her eyes wider than plates. She unconsciously gripped Syaoran's hand with fear.

**c**

"What happened?" Tomoyo asked, hearing herself properly for the first time all night. The wind has suddenly stopped abruptly.

"It's the deep breath before the plunge. A magician must take a moment to collect himself before conducting his most powerful force yet. We must hurry. Things are about to get very bad." Yue picked up the pace of his running. He could not fly due to the wound to his wing. Tomoyo leapt onto Kero's back and Kero took off at top speed down the alley. They reached the end of the road just as the wind began again, only much worse. All three of them stared up at the sky with frightened expressions, even Yue. A vortex of spiralling wind emerged from the clouds and reached down towards the ground.

"Just as I feared." Kero spoke with great disdain, "It seems, my friends, we have a tornado."

**ccc**

**Thank you for the few people who have reviewed my story! I thank you graciously!**

**PS I do not own thse characters!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Some Things Never Change**

**Monday night…**

No words could describe the sudden fear that gripped both Sakura and Syaoran at the very moment the spinning vortex of wind touched down and started coming towards them. Each second that past, it grew in circumference and became louder than a freight train. Syaoran was first to gather his thoughts.

"Run!" He shouted and started to run in the opposite direction, holding Sakura's hand. She quickly regained herself and ran beside him at top pace. They ran back from where they came with extreme haste.

"What are we going to do?" Sakura wailed over the tornado's hisses and moans. They turned a corner and the tornado crashed into a building but backed away and resumed its path towards Syaoran and Sakura.

"What the hell?" Syaoran yelled, staring in disbelief at the scene behind him. _That tornado just crashed into a building! If there are people in there…We've got to stop this! _

Syaoran was about to stop and stand his ground but suddenly there was a rumble from above. _With thunder comes…oh no._ A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky and landed in between Syaoran and Sakura, causing them to let each others hands go. They both dived opposite ways to dodge the bolt and both of them got of the ground as quick as they could and started running again. Fear was very evident in poor Sakura's eyes. Syaoran blinked a few times due to being temporarily blinded by the supernatural flash. There was another rumble from the dark clouds. Lightning danced among the clouds and then started going down by Sakura.

"God Of Thunder!" Syaoran used his lightning ofuda and fought against the bolt of electricity. Sakura ran out of the way and towards Syaoran. He released the lightning and the bolt came crashing down into the concrete, making a huge hole.

"Thank you." Sakura whispered, gasping for breath. Sakura grabbed Syaoran hand and they started running again, away from the spiralling vortex gaining speed and slowly closing in on them.

**c**

"Oh my god, it's going after Sakura!" Tomoyo exclaimed, pressing stop on her camcorder and stuffing it back into her bag. She watched the tornado's path turn drastically and it start to chase a dark blur in the distance. Tomoyo started running.

"Tomoyo!" Kero started bounding after her closely followed by Yue.

"She isn't alone." Yue stated as he caught up with Kero.

"What? She's with someone? How?" Kero sputtered.

"Those are questions I can't answer." Yue replied, his voice on the edge. The three creatures ran hastily behind the tornado, not noticing the snickering silhouette standing on the fountain.

"Uh oh, was that thunder?" Tomoyo asked tentatively, stopping in her tracks. Kero stopped beside her and watched, wide-eyed, as a bolt of unnaturally bright lightning struck down around Sakura. The blur split in half and disappeared from view. _Yue was right. There are two people there._

"Sakura!" Kero yelled but the roar of the tornado drowned his call out. There was another rumble from the sky and lightning came down towards the blur that fell to the right. Suddenly, another source of lightning came from the direction of the left blur and fought against the other bolt.

"What the hell was that?" Kero blurted out bewildered.

"Heh, did I forget to mention that Syaoran Li appeared at school today?" Tomoyo said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"What? The kid is back?" Kero said with a baffled expression.

"I'm glad. He's saved her on more than one occasion." Yue remarked. Kero turned around and stared at him with eyes like daggers. Yue ignored the rude glare and looked out into the distance at the lightning battle that was being fought on the other side of the tornado.

"Maybe you should consider helping them instead of wallowing in a long blown over rage against Syaoran Li. He's proven himself useful and a powerful ally." Yue said coolly towards Kero. Kero bit his tongue and swallowed his remark. When it came to words, Kero was no match to his fellow guardian. Kero sighed and took out his wings. The wind wasn't blowing very much because it was all being concentrated in the tornado. Taking it as a hint, Tomoyo jumped on.

"Get on Yue. Don't even try to fly with a gash in your wing that big." Kero grumbled.

"I'll run." He said simply.

"Fine. Suit yourself." Kero lifted off the ground and soared over top of a few buildings, keeping his distance from the tornado. He sped up and started making some distance in front of the tornado. Kero started flying towards the road Sakura and Syaoran were on, still keeping his distance from the tornado. As he narrowed in, the damage he saw was not a pretty site.

**c**

"What are we going to do?" Sakura moaned, still running away and dodging lightning, hand in hand with Syaoran.

"Try using the Silent to make this thing quieter. I can barely hear my own thoughts let alone what I'm saying." Syaoran replied, gasping for breath.

"Good idea!" Sakura pulled out the Silent Card, threw it up into the air and struck it with her staff, "Make this tornado quiet, Silent!" A woman with blue hair and a high collar dress emerged from the card and went up to the tornado with her finger on her lips. Suddenly the noise was cut off and all that could be heard was Syaoran and Sakura's raspy breathing and the flap of wings.

"Sakura! Syaoran! Are you alright?" Tomoyo's voice shouted from above. She and Kero landed in front of them and Tomoyo came running, embracing them both at the same time, "Oh I was so worried about the both of you!" Both Syaoran and Sakura were a bit bewildered by Tomoyo's hug, "Look at that! Even your clothes match! I didn't even plan that!" Tomoyo laughed and pulled out her camcorder. Syaoran and Sakura both rolled their eyes simultaneously and sighed.

"Alright. Let's finish this thing." Sakura spun around and faced the tornado that was gaining space towards them. _All right, let's clear my mind. Think…I could use the Windy to try and weaken it slightly and then use the Shadow to try and capture it but I might not have enough strength. Power sure could help me but I need something bigger…wait, that's it! Big!_

"Make Syaoran and I giant! Big!" Sakura struck the Card and both she and Syaoran turned very, very big all of the sudden.

"What the hell?" Syaoran blurted, looking down at the town with plate-eyes.

"Use wind! You weaken it while I capture it with Shadow!" Sakura pulled out the Card and motioned for Syaoran to go.

"Nymph of Wind, free thy mighty breath!" Syaoran boomed and set his ofuda onto the tornado. Sakura watched and waited until the tornado was weak enough to catch._ His spell is different, _She thought as she readied herself for the capture.

"Alright! Capture the tornado, Shadow!" Syaoran released his spell and Shadow took over the weakened column of wind. There was a rumble and a bolt of lightning began to drop from the clouds. Syaoran stopped it before it could stun the Shadow. Finally, the Shadow Card pushed it into a small ball. Syaoran and Sakura shrunk to their normal size and a shiny barrier suddenly appeared around the wind. By the sudden barrier stood Yue, looking somewhat dishevelled.

"Yue!" Sakura ran over to the Moon guardian and immediately examined his bleeding wing, "You're bleeding! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Yue muttered, attempting to fold his wing with a pained expression. Sakura took his wing in her hands and ran a finger overtop of the massive gash, barely realising she was doing it. Sakura closed her eyes and her magical circle appeared beneath her. From the edge came spiralling light that as quick as it appeared, disappeared. Yue blinked in bewilderment and folded his wing without any pain. He glanced over at Sakura who was staring in awe at a Sakura Card in her hand.

"The Mend?" She whispered, astonished.

"It's starting to escape!" Syaoran shouted to Sakura. She turned around and finally peeled her eyes off the Card that had just appeared in her hands and stared at the ball of wind magic. _How the hell am I supposed to finish this off?_ Sakura stepped toward the wind and stood at the brink of the shield with her staff ready.

"Mysterious force I bring you to thy end! Defuse your magic and disintegrate!" Light shot out from the tip of Sakura's staff and enveloped the wind. The mysterious force soon scattered and disappeared into thin air leaving only a scorched patch of concrete. Sakura fell to her knees and took a deep breath. She heard the patter of feet around her and looked upwards. She first saw Syaoran who gazed at her with concern and adoration while Yue and Kero gaped at her with a mixture between awe and anxiety. Tomoyo was hiding behind her camcorder. She had obviously filmed the whole feat.

"Sakura! You are so brave!" Tomoyo embraced the exhausted Sakura. Tomoyo got up and put her camcorder into her bag, "This will be wonderful! I can't wait to watch it!"

Sakura sighed and tried to get up. Syaoran came to her aid and wrapped his muscular arms around her torso. He pulled her to her feet and he put Sakura's arm on his shoulders so she used him as a crutch.

Kero shook himself out of his wonderment daze and growled at Syaoran.

"Why are you here?" Kero spat viciously.

"I came because I knew something was happening in Tomoeda and it had something to do with me." Syaoran replied coolly. He wasn't in the mood to strike up an argument with the spiteful Sun guardian.

"How do you know it has anything to do with you?" Kero snarled.

"A series of premonition dreams." Syaoran stated simply. Ignoring the urge to argue with him further, Syaoran and the half-asleep Sakura turned to Tomoyo who grabbed Sakura's other side and supported her. Her head lolled towards Syaoran and rested her head on him. A small smile crept onto his face.

"Dawn is near," Yue stated acknowledging the rising sun, "We should leave before we are seen."

"I'll take Sakura home." Kero mumbled, walking towards Syaoran and Tomoyo, "Put her on my back." Syaoran hefted Sakura with pristine ease onto Kero's back and with a final nod he flew away.

"Hurry home." Yue flew away leaving Tomoyo and Syaoran alone.

"We better hurry." Syaoran said watching the rising sun anxiously.

"Good night." Tomoyo smiled and stared running towards her home. Syaoran turned around and did the same.

**c**

"Hey Kaijou! Get out of bed!" Touya barged into Sakura's room and immediately his face softened. There in her room stood Yue and Kero in his smaller form conversing quietly.

"Never mind. I'll leave now." Touya turned around and was about to close the door.

"Wait." Yue called sharply. Touya re-entered the room and stepped warily towards Yue and Kero.

"Yes?" Touya asked softly, attempting to not awaken his sister.

"Let her sleep for today. Last night was very tiring for her." Yue said quietly.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Touya inquired anxiously.

"Some mysterious force is threatening the Mistress of the Sakura Cards. We have yet to figure out why." Yue replied.

"A magician set a tornado out to squash Sakura but she and…the kid stopped it before it did anymore serious damage. Once she weakened it, she extinguished the magic she captured while making a new card that saps energy like vacuum." Kero added.

"The kid? You mean Syaoran Li?" Touya's eyes widened.

"Yes, unfortunately." Kero grumbled.

"What? Why is he back?" Touya moaned, sitting at the edge of Sakura's bed.

"It's like I told the both of you, their destinies together are inevitable." Yue stated with a slight smile. Kero and Touya sighed simultaneously.

"But why him?" They said at the same time. They then glared at each other reproachfully. _Some things never change._ Yue thought, observing the two with a rather bored expression.

**c**

**Thank you for the reviews. Please continue reviewing because it makes me post my stories faster! **

**P.S. I don't own CCS. Simple as that!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Confusing Encounters**

**Tuesday…**

The next morning Sakura, Syaoran and not even Tomoyo went to school. Sakura slept in whilst Syaoran awoke and just decided not to go to school because he was still physically drained. He watched the local news with Wei.

**"_Yamada Hanako reporting here in downtown Tomoeda. During the night, half of a business building was demolished and many holes and shattered windows are the case all around the downtown area. Unfortunately, one person working late in the building was claimed by the unknown disturbance. Though there were no witnesses, locals claim there was a very loud freight train-like noise."_**

"Is that what you and Sakura fought yesterday night?" Wei asked.

"Yes. She ended up catching it in time and she caused it to disintegrate before anything worse could happen."

"Hmm. You were right master Syaoran. There is something dangerous happening in this town." Wei scratched his head and sighed, "Your mother isn't going to be to happy if this isn't resolved in the three weeks were staying here."

"Yes I know. I'll have to think of something if it resorts to that."

**c**

The room was dark and in the shadows an angered man lurked. He sat upon a dirty couch with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Beneath his black hood, a pair of frigid eyes stared with a corrupted glow.

"So we finally witness the potential of the Card Mistress Sakura. She defeated a rather moderate element to conjure. I would have rather seen her suffer none the less," Orion hacked painfully, "But that stupid boy had to show up. He has more power than that stupid Sun Guardian of hers, that's for sure. He will surely make my quest more difficult and intricate. I will have to watch my step." He swallowed a large gulp of his beverage and closed his tired eyes, "Mark my words Mistress Sakura, you will not win that easy anew."

**c**

"Sakura, Sakura…" A distant voice sounded miles away to Sakura whom was still fast asleep.

"Food is here from your onni-chan. You got to eat something. It's 11:30." The ever-familiar Osaka accent whispered into her ear. Sakura slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Kero and her brother.

"Oh my. I slept very late." Sakura sat up and rubbed her eyes, "You should have woken me. I'm missing school."

"Our mistress needs her rest if she is to continue fighting this strange force." A soft voice said from the other side of the room. Sakura turned her head.

"Yue is here too? Why, the whole party is present!" Sakura smiled cheerfully and grabbed a bowl that was resting on her lap. She began eating the contents hungrily.

"How is your wing Yue?" Sakura asked in between mouthfuls of her breakfast.

"It is fine." Yue replied awkwardly, looking away.

"What?" Kero looked at Yue with a confused face, "How did the gash heal so quick?"

"With this." Sakura closed her eyes and envisioned the card that she desired and held her hand flat. The card flew from the case she held them in and landed in her outstretched palm.

"The Mend." Kero whispered, "You made another card?"

"Yes. Don't ask me how." Sakura smiled and laughed a little bit. Kero and Touya just stared.

**c**

The next morning, a Wednesday, Tomoyo arrived at Sakura's house early in the morning. She knocked on her door and Sakura answered, confused. She asked why Tomoyo had come and Tomoyo answered that she was getting a ride and thought she would come to pick her up. Sakura accepted the ride with the utmost gratitude and hopped into the suave limousine. They arrived at school decently early and sat outside among the cherry blossom trees.

"There is one of the new students." Tomoyo said, pointing to a boy with raven black hair, "He's from America."

"Wow. Hey look, he's coming our way." Sakura said watching him walk towards them and smile.

"He is rather handsome isn't he?" Tomoyo mentioned, elbowing Sakura lightly in the side. Sakura smiled.

"I have my eyes on someone else." Sakura whispered. Tomoyo shrugged, and both girls waited in anticipation until the boy reached them.

"Hello. My name is Ryan Smith." The boy with raven hair said in Japanese but with a very noticeable American accent.

"I'm Daidouji Tomoyo. This is my friend Kinomoto Sakura." Tomoyo replied sweetly.

"Sakura?" A malevolent look flashed through his eyes for a split-second, "What a beautiful name." Sakura blushed.

"Thank you." Sakura replied quietly.

"Your city is very beautiful. I arrived here on Saturday but I am still very tired from the time change," he pointed to the space beside Sakura on the bench, "May I sit?"

"Yes, of course." Tomoyo said with a smile. Ryan sat down beside Sakura and leant over so he could see both Tomoyo and Sakura.

"So where are you from Smith?" Sakura asked. Ryan frowned slightly.

"Please call me Ryan. It is to weird to be addressed by Japanese custom." Ryan changed his frown quickly into a smile.

"Okay, Ryan. Where are you from?" Sakura corrected herself.

"I'm from Florida in the United States of America. Its quite different over there compared to over here." He gazed towards the cherry blossom trees, "Japan's real beauty, the Sakura. It applies to the trees as well." Ryan winked at Sakura playfully and walked away, leaving Sakura feeling weak inside.

"Oh he's so romantic. Did you hear that? 'Japan's real beauty, Sakura.' What a sweetie." Tomoyo swooned and gazed dreamily above, "If only guys said something that fanciful to me…" Tomoyo sighed and rested her head on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura just stared at Ryan's back as he walked away, feeling stunned.

**c**

Syaoran walked into the courtyard on his school and immediately spotted a girl that stood out from the crowd. Her skin was the colour of coffee and her Jamaican accent was clearly noticeable as she chit-chatted away. Her hair hung around her face and shoulders in dread locks. Syaoran gazed at her with peculiar interest. _She's not all she looks to be…_ Syaoran walked closer into the courtyard, not exactly towards the group of girls the Jamaican was in but somewhere along those lines. The girl spotted Syaoran and flashed his a feline grin, a grin so bizarre that it stopped Syaoran dead in his tracks. _What is this woman?_

The Jamaican said something to the girls and then quitted the group and strolled over to Syaoran.

"Hello." The Jamaican said in English. Much to Syaoran's surprise, he understood quite clearly though he wasn't particularly amazing at the English language.

"Um, hi?" Syaoran replied in Japanese, somewhat confused.

"You're deep in someding you might have a hard time crawling back out of. Someding disturbs da peace in Tomoeda. Watch your back or else she will be taken away. Good luck Syaoran Li. You will need it, yes." The Jamaican grinned in her feline way, making the hairs on his neck stand erect. She began to walk away.

"What is your name?" Syaoran called out. She turned around slowly and snickered.

"Dat is for me to know and you to find out, yes." The Jamaican turned away and walked over to her group who flocked around her and began chatting with her happily. Syaoran stood stunned. _What is going on?_

**c**

School began without another incident and Syaoran sat behind Sakura, just like old times. He raked his brain for an idea or a clue that just might help him solve what could be happening in Tomoeda. As Terada-sensei turned to write something on the board, Tomoyo quickly threw a wad of paper to him. He caught it and opened it beneath his desk.

_**There's a new boy here named Ryan. He seems to be really interested in Sakura. I suggest you make your move soon before he does.**_

A sudden jealous rage gripped Syaoran and held him tightly. _How dare he flirt with my Sakura? Wait…were not even an item anyway._ Syaoran sighed and calmed down. _Tomoyo is right. I have to make a move before he does. But what can I say? _Just then there was a knock on the classroom door. Terada-sensai walked over and opened it.

"Yes?" Terada-sensai said to a student not yet in view.

"May I borrow a dictionary please?" The student asked.

"Yes. They're just on that shelf." Terada-sensai motioned with his hand to a set of shelves on the other side of the classroom. The student walked in and smiled at the students. Tomoyo poked Syaoran in the leg with a pencil.

"That's him!" She mouthed. Syaoran's face darkened and he watched the raven haired cross the classroom. The foreign stranger met Sakura's gaze and smiled at her as he picked up his dictionary. Syaoran stared at him with the most harmful and evil stare that Syaoran didn't even know he was capable of. Ryan's eyes flickered darkly for a moment when the grazed Syaoran's but they quickly focused back on Sakura. He gave her another playful wink and walked out the door, closing it behind him. Tomoyo slowly turned around and stared in terror at Syaoran's face, which looked as if he was going to jump up and strangle the boy to death. Tomoyo quickly looked away to Sakura who had a content smile on her face. _Uh oh…_ Tomoyo thought to herself. _This could get ugly._

**c**

Time flew quickly but by the time lunch rolled around, Syaoran was still in a wicked whim because of Ryan. Though Tomoyo was very cautious with her words as the three friends left class and went to the locker hall, Sakura didn't seem to notice Syaoran's foul mood. The three went their separate ways to go to their lockers to get their lunches and they were planning to eat outside among the early spring foliage.

Sakura was just closing her locker when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Ryan, his wide smile gleaming.

"I was walking by and I couldn't resist stopping to see you." Ryan cooed smoothly, his voice silky and rich like melted chocolate. Sakura blushed.

"T-thank you." Sakura replied shyly. Butterflies flew wildly in her stomach.

"You're welcome. I'll see you around." Ryan took her hand lightly in his and slowly let go as he stepped away, giving her a dazzling smile and a teasing wink. Sakura's blush got redder and redder.

"Who was that?" Syaoran asked reproachfully, coming up from behind her.

"A friend of mine." Sakura snapped, not liking the envious tone Syaoran had used. She knew it was second nature for Syaoran to get angry with any other guy she got close to but she was beginning to get sick of it. They started walking towards outside.

"I don't like him. Where is he from? The U.S?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Just a feeling." Syaoran mumbled. Sakura rolled her eyes with irritation and flicked her hair behind her shoulders. _What is Syaoran's problem? I mean Ryan is only an innocent guy trying to make friends. Gosh, Syaoran can be so possessive. I miss the days where he would blush at the very sight of me._

"Did you say something?" Sakura awoke from her bitter thoughts and stared into the big, amber eyes that bore into hers. Reluctantly, Sakura felt her knees weaken.

"I could have sworn you said something along with my name." Syaoran looked confused.

"No. I didn't say a thing." Sakura held her breath. _I probably mumbled my thoughts out loud. How careless of me._ Syaoran stopped Sakura from walking and gave her a very bizarre look.

"You're not saying anything and yet for some strange reason, I can hear you." Syaoran ran his fingers through his chestnut hair and tugged on his tie.

"Are you alright Syaoran? You don't look to good." Sakura stood on her toes and pressed her palm to Syaoran's forehead. Syaoran turned six shades of pink.

"I'm fine." He gently took Sakura's hand and put it down by her side. Sakura blushed slightly and they began walking again. In his mind, Syaoran called out Sakura's name.

"Yes?" Sakura said with a tinge of irritation. Syaoran was now pretty sure he wasn't going crazy. _'Can you hear me?'_ he asked in his mind.

"Of course I can hear you…wait." Sakura's eyebrows rose in surprise. _'What?'_

'_Since when could we do this?'_

"_I don't know…'_ A memory of a conversation she once had with Kero came to mind...

**"_You and Yue can speak in each others minds?" Sakura asked Kero with curiosity._**

"_**Yes. It's a hard skill to master and it uses up a great deal of energy. Yue and I seldom use telepathy." Kero replied.**_

"_**So I could learn how to do it and talk to all my friends during class?" Sakura laughed.**_

"_**Unfortunately no," Kero smiled, "Telekinesis is an interesting thing. You know when a person and their partner are so close that they can almost hear each others thoughts?"**_

"_**Yes."**_

"_**Well that's a very subtle form of telekinesis. With magicians and magical people it's much different." Kero took a deep breath, "You see, you have to be very close and have a special bond with that person in order to communicate using telekinesis. Mostly it occurs if the pair is linked in some kind of way, sometimes when they're close partners or lovers. That's why twins are so close mentally." Sakura nodded as she acknowledged Kero's point. **_

"_**If you ever develop this skill, it will almost be impossible to speak with Tomoyo or anyone without any magical abilities. In fact, unless you're super powerful, it's normal that you only develop one mental link with someone very important to you. If you ever do get the skill, it will most likely be with either Yue or I, probably both."**_

Sakura stared out into the distance as she and Syaoran walked out of the school and out into the mild heat of an unnaturally warm early spring. They turned towards the bench they planned on meeting Tomoyo. Sakura felt somewhat dazed. _Does that mean Syaoran and I have a special bond?_

"I guess so." Syaoran said, out of the blue.

"You know, this could get very weird." Sakura grumbled. _I better not catch any of his dirty thoughts about scantily dressed woman._

"No you probably won't catch any of those." Syaoran laughed lightly. Sakura scowled. She reached out into Syaoran's mind. She heard only snippets of his thoughts. _'Only when…hormonal…oh Sakura…cute when…confused.'_

"I'm cute when I'm confused?" Sakura asked with one eyebrow raised. Syaoran immediately stopped laughing and turned multiple shades of pink and red.

"I…um…uh…" Syaoran managed to say, getting embarrassed. _How am I going to keep my thoughts in check around her? Oh god…_

**c**

School was out for the day and Sakura walked out into the courtyard full of other teenagers preparing to leave. Sakura walked by a group of guys and girls kissing and caressing each other among the cherry blossom trees and a pang of jealously ripped inside her. _I wish I could be one of those girls, girls who are normal and have loving boyfriends._ Sakura sighed indefinitely. _How I wish Syaoran and I could be a couple like that. I can try all I want yet I cannot deny the fact that he is still in my heart. Yet that new boy Ryan, he's quite a sweetie. He made me feel like I was special and beautiful, something that only Syaoran could do before. Does that mean I like him too?_

"Now, now. You should keep your little mind on da real important people in your life. Not da mysterious and seducing new boy, no." A Jamaican girl walked up beside Sakura with a strange feline smile on her face. Sakura stopped dead in her tracks and just stared. After a moment she realised what the Jamaican said was in English and strangely enough, Sakura understood what she said perfectly, besides the fact that her 'th's were pronounced as 'd's.

"W-what do you mean?" Sakura asked in Japanese. The Jamaican girl grabbed one of her dread locks and curled it around one of her long fingers. Sakura noticed a piece of cloth wrapped around her left wrist.

"You keep your eyes open. Soon enough you'll figure out da boy has someding to hide, yes."

"What? And how did you know what I was thinking about?" Sakura stared overwhelmed. _First telepathy with Syaoran and now some crazy lady that knows what I'm thinking. Could this day get any weirder?_

"Probably not, my dear, no. Dis day is certainly a weird day for you. But believe me, dings are about to get weirder for you and dear Syaoran before da night is over." The Jamaican turned to Sakura with an uncanny grin. Then, she started walking away.

"Wait! What is your name?" Sakura called as she started making distance between herself and Sakura. She turned and brushed her dread locks behind her.

"You can address me as Chali. My real name, is not for you." With that she disappeared around the corner, leaving Sakura dazed and confused._ What is going on?_

**c**

**Sorry it took so long to come out! It was supposed to be posted on Sunday but fanfiction wouldn't log me in. Chapter postings are about to slow because school is back (whop-dee-do Basil) and i'm going to be neck deep in work. Thank you for the reviews. Special thanks to Boheme for your always positive feedback.**

**Thanks!**

**P.S. I don't own CCS**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: When Strange Couldn't Get Stranger**

**That Night…**

Sakura stood by the school all alone. She was only taking a walk when she suddenly got a frightful feeling inside. _Something horrible is going to happen. I just know it!_ Sakura took a wary step along the trail but stopped when she heard a noise from behind. Biting her lip, she turned around fearing the worst.

"Hello Sakura." A thickly accented voice said from behind her. Sakura spun around and saw Chali, perched on the chain fence. She smiled her peculiar smile and jumped from the fence being at least 10 feet high and landing gently on all fours like a feline. She wore a red lace dress with a black corset. Her dread locks hung around her face, giving her an eerie look and the same creepy smile was plastered on her face, giving her a very cat-like appearance.

"You seem surprised Sakura. After all da clues I've been giving you, I would dink dat you would realise dat I have a part to play in dis game." Chali spoke English yet Sakura could understand every word.

"No." Sakura replied rather sheepishly, "I don't suppose you know what's making all the trouble in Tomoeda?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. You must wait and see." Chali smirked, "I will give you clue dough, yes? Your enemy is a boy. Yes, a boy wid powers of controlling da weader, yes." Chalandra's eyes were closed and her face was pointing to the skies with her arms outstretched. A light sprinkle rained from the sky and fell onto Chali's skin; "It rains tonight. We see who it is, shall we?"

Chali took a few steps then looked behind her at Sakura who was staring at her with 'huh?' written all over her face. Chali rolled her eyes, pulled a handkerchief out of a pocket while she walked towards Sakura and smacked her across the face with it.

"You awake now? You follow me. Let's go." Chali grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled her along. Chali moved at a curious speed, gunning it for a moment, then slowing down to a tip-toe, then right back to a mad dash. Sakura had no trouble keeping up. She was a very fast runner. They stopped by the side of the school in the middle of the yard.

"You feel it?" Chali yelled because of the falling rain. It was crashing upon them harder and harder.

"Yes." Sakura whispered, closing her eyes and sensing her surroundings. _There's definitely something here._

"Feel what?" They both spun around and met face to face with Syaoran who apparently had no clue what they were talking about.

"Ah, Li Syaoran. So glad you came. You are a cute boy, yes." Chali looked him over, walking around him then taking the ivory shell on her necklace and sticking it up by his face. Syaoran gave Sakura a 'wtf?' look, which Sakura replied with a shrug of the shoulders and an odd face.

"You have quite a future, yes." Chalandra turned to Sakura and winked. _Hoe, this woman is weird! _

"You keep a hold of your true desire. Do not let your foolish family get in da way of what was destined to be." Chalandra whispered into Syaoran's ear. His expression was emotionless before contorting into a pained grimace.

"How can I keep them out of my hair then?" Syaoran asked slowly.

"You'll figure out boy, but right now you must focus on important dings. Dere are problems for you in da near future. We must find da real culprit behind dis mess. Keep on your toes." Chali grinned her strange grin and stepped back to Sakura who was dancing in the rain. Syaoran's expression softened as he watched Sakura spin around and splash in the small puddles. Inside, his heart began to race.

"You like her don't you?" Chali gazed up at Syaoran with cunning eyes. For the first time, Syaoran noticed that her pupils were more like slits.

"I-uh…that's none of your business." Syaoran retorted, turning red. Chali laughed heartily.

"Oh you're so cute." Chali grinned.

"Oh my god." Came a low and gnarly voice. All three teenagers looked over to where the voice came from. There stood Kero staring with absolute shock and bewilderment written all over him with eyes wider than dinner plates.

"Chalandra?" Kero managed to say, even with his jaw dropped, "Daughter of Patia?" Chali face darkened and her body tensed.

"Who are you, Cerberus, to speak my name?" She spat petulantly, a growl emerging through her gritted teeth, strangely spiked. Syaoran and Sakura backed away quietly.

"She always said she would name her daughter Chalandra." Kero said thoughtfully, more to himself than to anyone else. Chalandra's face softened.

"You knew my moder?" Chalandra asked, her voice not as vicious.

"Yes. She was a wonderful friend of mine." Kero replied lightly. Chalandra abandoned her defences and relaxed.

"How is your mother?" Kero asked softly, anxious to know what had become of Patia.

"She is ill." Chalandra said sadly, her words dripping with sorrow and pain, "We can speak of my family later. We must attend to da growing matters ahead." Chalandra looked away. She soon regained herself and paced over to Kero, gazing at him with marvel. Though she had heard of Cerberus, she had never actually seen him in his full splendour.

The rain got heavier and heavier as the moments passed. The heavy drops soon turned into sheets of rainwater falling from the sky. Chalandra growled deep in her throat. She absolutely despised the rain.

"Watch it!" Syaoran dived onto Sakura and they fell onto the concrete with a thump. A massive drop of rain with a circumference the size of an average sized kiddie swimming pool crashed down where Sakura stood only seconds ago, causing a few small cracks in the concrete.

"Thank you." Sakura sputtered, going pink in the face. Both of them realised the suggestive position they landed in and Syaoran rolled off her quickly, pink in the face as well.

**c**

"Dey are so cute, yes?" Chalandra snickered as she stood beside Kero who was peevishly scowling.

"No," Kero snorted, "The 'kid' is a nuisance. I don't like him and I never will. He's only caused trouble for Sakura." Chalandra looked at him with amusement in her eyes.

"You know, dey are destined for eachoder. Poor you, having to live wid da inevitable, yes?" Chalandra laughed heartily. All Kero could do was grumble.

**c**

Syaoran sat up feeling very embarrassed. _I was just lying on top of her…wow._

Sakura sat up shortly after and gazed over at Syaoran who was staring out into space. _He was just on top of me…wow._ Another massive raindrop smashed down a few meters away.

"Come on." Sakura touched Syaoran's shoulder lightly and got to her feet. Syaoran snapped out of his daze and got up beside her. They ran towards the nearest shelter, a group of trees.

**c**

"It's going to get worse. I suggest we do da same." Chalandra pointed to Syaoran and Sakura who were running towards the trees. She and Kero took off in that direction and they met under that clump of trees. Just as Chalandra and Kero made it beneath the shelter, raindrops, as big and some even bigger than the one that almost fell on Sakura, plunged from the sky. In a matter of minutes, they got more and more numerous and the tree branches above them began creaking against the weight of the water. The tree above Sakura was the first to give in.

In one swift movement, Syaoran grabbed Sakura by the forearm and flung her towards him, out of harm's way. She fell into his chest and lingered there for a moment, numbed from shock. She regained her thoughts and pulled away, blushing again.

"We've got to get out of here. It's not safe under here anymore." Syaoran grabbed Sakura's hand.

"What about Kero and Chali or whatever her name is?" Sakura looked over towards the tree. It had split them off.

"We'll run into them later. Come on." Syaoran pulled Sakura and they ran in a frenzy towards the south doors of the school.

**c**

Chalandra jumped away from where she once stood with inhuman acuteness and landed on all fours. In an odd transformation, her already long finger nails grew longer and sharper and her hands got significantly larger and turned into paws. Two furry kitty ears popped up atop of her head and three long whiskers grew on each cheek. Her bodily proportions turned cat-like and to top it off, a furry brown tail sprouted from her lower back through an unnoticeable hole in her red lace skirt. Kero couldn't help but think about how much like her mother she was.

"We have to get out of here." Chalandra hissed, motioning with one of her paws to the north doors of the high school. Kero nodded and they both dashed at top speed towards the school.

**c**

"We have to find a way to get in!" Sakura wailed, pulling on the locked door handle of the South door of the school.

"Let's check some of the windows." Syaoran ran to the right side and reached up to a few windows and tugged on the handles. He tried a few more windows but they were all locked. Sakura did the same on the left side but found them all locked too. They ran back to the door that was sheltered by a small roof.

"Damn it! Come on, let's try the shed." Syaoran pointed to the gardening shed about 100m away among the trees. Sakura nodded and side by side they ran to the shed, dodging the huge drops. As they ran, Sakura got a horrible feeling in her stomach. Listening to her intuition, she looked up and spotted an enormous raindrop quickly approaching and dived onto Syaoran, pushing him down.

The weight of the water pounded onto Sakura's back like a bag of bricks. She collapsed and squished Syaoran who was underneath her. Sakura groaned as the pain racked through her body.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked all panicky. Syaoran pulled himself from underneath her and knelt down beside her. He curled his arm underneath her arms and across her back, lifting her upper body off the ground. Sakura's body was limp and her beautiful face was contorted in a pained expression.

"Ouch." She moaned, "I didn't know water hurt that much."

"Come on." Syaoran said softly, sympathy in his eyes. He picked her up and set her lightly on her feet, "Get on my back and I'll carry you." Sakura lifted up one of her legs and Syaoran grabbed it, holding her thigh. With a pained grunt, she hoisted the rest of herself onto his back and Syaoran started running again towards the shed. He reached it and kicked the door open and ran inside. He looked around for a place to set Sakura and spotted a wooden stool. He ran over and let Sakura down. He helped her down onto the stool and squatted down beside her.

"You alright?" Syaoran asked. Sakura slumped over and groaned.

"I've been better." She replied quietly, "How is my back?"

"Umm," Syaoran shifted to her side and warily took the bottom of her shirt and lifted it up a little bit. He gazed with sombre eyes at the big purple bruise developing already.

"It's really bruised." Syaoran said, shifting back to Sakura.

"Figures." She grimaced.

"You could use that new card?" Syaoran suggested.

"No. It uses too much energy. I need it to save it so I can capture and destroy this stupid rain." A fire burned in Sakura's eyes. Her lithe frame shuddered with sudden fury.

"I'm going to destroy this stupid rain." Sakura growled. Syaoran shifted away from Sakura, a bit of fear evident in his eyes.

**c**

"Damn it! It's locked!" Kero exclaimed, slamming his paw down angrily.

"Not for long." Chalandra smirked and stuck one of her claws into the keyhole. With a flick of her wrist, she pulled out her nail and pushed the door open casually with her paw. Both of them ran into the corridor, grateful of the dry sanctuary as they relaxed onto the floor.

"Did you know my moder well?" Chalandra asked quietly, sitting upon her haunches.

"Well enough. She was a splendid woman to be in the company of. I'm very sad to hear that she is ill." Kero replied, trying to lie comfortably on the hard stone floor.

"How did you meet her?"

"I met your mother a long time ago when the Clow Book and I were in Osaka. She was in a fight with an assassin or something because someone was jealous of her. It was a pointless quarrel but none the less, I distracted the assassin long enough for her to escape and we met on a rooftop. Her paw was injured from a swipe of a dagger so I led her to the basement the Book and I was residing in. Conveniently the owner had left for a week to Tokyo so we had the whole house to ourselves. We had long talks over tea on our lives up to the present moment. I spoke of the Clow Book and how I was its faithful guardian and in return she told me about her gypsy heritage, her cat alter-form and how she wished to see her grandmother in Jamaica. Did she ever find her?"

"Yes. My moder lives wid my grandmoder and dat is where she remains."

"That is so unfortunate," Kero sighed downheartedly, "There is something about your aura that is different from your mother's."

"Da only difference from me and my moder is my psychic gift. Dough sometimes I dink of it as a curse. Sometimes I hear people's doughts widout realising it, know da future before it happens and see dings that normal mortals wouldn't see. Eider way, I am a half-human, half-feline like my moder and a gypsy spell weaver." Chalandra raised herself and began to pace.

"Tell me, why are you in Tomoeda?"

"My grandmoder sent me here after she viewed da predicament in one of her voodoo spells. She told me dat da Card Mistress and da Li boy would need some guidance or else day would fail."

"Fail to what? Do you know who is behind all of this?"

"I know not of da magician dat is making so much trouble. I do know dat he is a boy in disguise. He's a shape-shifter dat can manipulate da weather to do his bidding. He will cause many problems like dis for Sakura until he gets what he came for."

"Do you know what that is?" Chalandra gave Kero a dark glance.

"He's after da Cards and he'll do anything for dem, even if it means killing Sakura and Syaoran just to get possession of dem."

"Kill them?" Kero whispered, his eyes downcast. _What would happen to the Cards, to us?_

"Don't worry Cerubus. Have hope dat Sakura will defeat dis evil," Chalandra put a comforting paw on Kero's shoulder, "And Syaoran too. His part in dis drama is long from over."

**c**

Sakura released her staff and used the Float Card to help her to her feet with as less pain as possible. The Float slowly set her down on her feet and Sakura cringed painfully.

"You okay?" Syaoran asked warily, taking a careful step towards her.

"I'm fine but this storm won't be in a minute." Sakura replied with an angered grimace. Syaoran kept his distance from the raging Sakura. _It's been a long time since I've seen Sakura like this._

"And it won't be the last with the nerve this magician has." Sakura snapped fiendishly. Syaoran smacked himself on the forehead, _I forgot she could hear my thoughts…I wonder if she knows how scary she is when she's angry?_

"Thank you for enlightening me." Sakura muttered dryly. Syaoran shook his head and decided he would stop thinking all together.

Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on how she was going to capture this troublesome storm. _I need to find the source of this storm but how? It could be anywhere. I could use the Arrow to pinpoint the source and weaken it so I can capture it in the Shadow. Let's try._

Sakura released the Arrow Card and a spirit materialised beside her with a bow in her hands. Her eyes darted around for a moment then steadied on a target. Without hesitation, Arrow let go of her missile and it flew to the belly of a massive black cloud right above the school building. In less than a second there was a deafening rumble of thunder and all the storm clouds disappeared except for the one the Arrow Card pierced. As quickly as she could, Sakura set the Shadow on it and consumed the looming cloud in a ball of impenetrable shadows. It sunk to the ground in front of Sakura. She was about to capture it when she stumbled helplessly to the ground.

"Gotcha." An arm snaked around Sakura's waist and caught her before she hit the ground. Sakura turned her head and stared up at her rescuer whose face was not far from hers. He smiled and pulled her upright.

"Capture it. I have you." Syaoran held her by the waist and spun her in the direction of her enemy. With sudden confidence, Sakura held her staff in front of her.

"Mysterious force I bring you to thy end! Defuse your magic and disintegrate!" Light shot from her staff and overtook the churning cloud with the white illumes. Syaoran held her steady against his body as her legs began to falter. They both watched as the cloud screamed and began to disintegrate into the air. Sakura's beam of light began to falter.

"Keep going." Syaoran whispered, nuzzling his head by hers. He closed his eyes and focused his mind on lending her some of his powers.

Sakura suddenly felt a burst of energy. She gazed over at Syaoran whose eyes were closed and calm as if he was meditating. _He's lending me his powers…_ With this extra burst of energy, she created a beam of light three times the size of the one she had previously and obliterated the cloud in a deafening blast. Syaoran's eyes snapped open and he gathered himself, not being exhausted but tired none the less.

Sakura collapsed into Syaoran's arms with an aching groan. He picked her up bridal style with gracefulness and began walking towards the place they last saw Kero and the Chali girl. Sakura's head lolled onto Syaoran's arm as he walked and he looked up at him with glittering eyes. _Oh Syaoran…_

**c**

"Hey! It stopped!" Kero got up off the stone floor and started walking to the front door, Chalandra bounding up from behind him. They both ran outside and looked up to the clear skies.

"Da storm is gone!" Chalandra observed. She dashed farther out and gazed around. She spotted the cloud above the school being attacked by a dark spirit. Kero ran up beside her and watched the spectacle. The cloud disappeared behind the school. They paused for a moment anticipating what was going to happen next. Just as they were about to run to where Syaoran and Sakura were, there was a white light that shone from the other side and crept across the sky. It started to fade.

"We've got to help her. She doesn't have enough power to do it by herself." Kero began to run.

"Just wait my friend." Chalandra put her paw on his and he faltered, looking to Chalandra and then to the sky. There was a sudden burst of blinding light and a massive bang echoed all across Tomoeda. Kero held his breath.

"What happened?" He whispered, watched the light disappear.

"Da storm is gone. Sakura just needed a little help finishing it off, yes" Chalandra smirked.

"Huh?" Kero raised an eyebrow.

"I told you little cute Syaoran would play a big part. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have destroyed da storm." Chalandra grinned happily. Kero scowled grumpily.

"Why him?" He grumbled with distress as they started walking towards the back of the school.

**c**

Orion stood on the balcony of his apartment and heaved over from exhaustion. Once again his spell had been foiled because of that stupid boy. _That stupid, stupid fool. I will kill that useless, moronic twerp before this is over. Then, I shall get my sweet prize from the ridiculous excuse for a Card Mistress without a significant effort._ Orion grinned maniacally and threw his head back. He started laughing maliciously, quietly at first but then louder and louder his chuckles grew until his twisted snickers echoed off the surrounding buildings.

**c**

Far away Syaoran jerked his head towards the sound of a contorted chortle in the distance.

**c**

**Woot! There were a loy of POV changes in that story. That was one of my special extra long chapters. I actually didn't realize it was 3500+ words. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and i would do all your homework for you if you would give me more! Thanks!**

**P.S. I don't own CSS**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Healer's Feat**

The next day Sakura went to school but was quickly excused by the teacher after seeing her fall asleep and fall out of her seat twice. Luckily Syaoran was there to catch her.

Sakura walked home sullenly, having to stop twice to sit on a bench. She wished she had Syaoran there to help her home. She reached her house and opened the door to the empty home. Her father and her brother wouldn't be home until late so she had the house to herself with only Kero to help her.

"Sakura? You're home so early?" Kero asked as she walked into her room. He paused his video game and floated over to Sakura. Sakura fell onto her bed.

"I was excused from school today." Sakura closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

**c**

'_Sakura!'_ Syaoran yelled in his mind. There was no answer. He wondered to himself if telekinesis worked from far away.

"What happened last night?" Tomoyo pressed her hand on Syaoran's upper arm. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked to Tomoyo who looked very concerned.

"Another one of those forces attacked yesterday, this time in the form of rain. That's why there is so much damage around the school." Tomoyo nodded in acknowledgement, "She got smashed by a huge rain droplet and her back is bruised really badly. She finished the cloud off with my help." Syaoran ran his hands through his hair and shook his head, feeling tired and stressed out.

"After school we'll go to her house and see how she's doing. You being a magician, do you think you could help her back somehow?"

"I need the proper herb. I never thought my herb healing studies would ever come in use this early." Syaoran smiled half-heartedly.

"What kind of herb?" Tomoyo asked.

"Alleiawort."

"Well, I never thought the herb garden in my backyard would ever be of any other use than cooking but it seems I have doubted as well. I'm almost sure that I have it in my backyard. I'll call one of my girls to pick a bunch and drop it off here." Tomoyo smiled and dug her cell phone from her purse. She found it and dialled a phone number.

"Hello…Could you find Alleiawort in the herb garden and drop in off in my locker?…thank you Yumi…yes I will…goodbye." Tomoyo hung up and smiled, "Let's hope Touya is not there when we come. You might have to escape out of a window. Ohoho." Tomoyo chuckled. Syaoran shook his head. _She's so wacked…I don't know how Sakura deals with her eccentrics on a daily basis. Then again Sakura is full of surprises._

**c**

After school, Syaoran met Tomoyo at her locker.

"Is this the herb you were looking for?" Tomoyo pulled out a plastic bag with dark green leaves inside. Syaoran took it in his hands and picked a leaf out of the bag. He examined and sniffed it.

"Yes it is." Syaoran replied brightly. He stuck the leaf back into the bag and shoved it into Tomoyo's backpack.

"Great! Let's go see Sakura." Tomoyo tugged on Syaoran's sleeve and they started walking. They walked along the sidewalk in silence until Tomoyo grew impatient. _Syaoran is always so quiet…_ She pouted.

"You were always so slow to reply to Sakura's letters." Tomoyo remarked, breaking the ice. Syaoran breathed in sharply.

"Yes. I know." He replied sullenly. Tomoyo knew then that she had pulled a sensitive string.

"She was never the same when you left. There was something missing, a spark of cheerfulness that left when you did." Tomoyo sighed. Syaoran said nothing and remained silent, looking straight in front of him.

"Of course her happy-go-lucky personality was still there and ever-shining but sometimes the smile would slip off her face and she would go day-dreaming." Tomoyo gazed over at Syaoran. He looked as if he was fighting against something by the look on his face, "You know, she never did get over you."

Syaoran whipped his head around and stared at Tomoyo. _She never got over me? _They turned a corner and started walking onto the road Sakura's house was on.

"What do you mean?" Syaoran whispered his heart thudding. _Is she still in love with me?_

"When you returned, a spark in her eyes rekindled." Tomoyo smiled to herself. She knew she had pressed the right buttons, "But the question is, are you still in love with her?"

Syaoran stopped walking and stared at the ground, just enough that his tousled hair fell over his eyes. Tomoyo stopped and gazed at him, hoping.

"I…Yes I am." He flicked his head backwards and his hair parted from his eyes, showing the adoration that welled up inside, "More than ever." Tomoyo smiled warmly and flicked her hair behind her shoulders.

"I'm glad you're willing to make Sakura the happiest girl in the world." Tomoyo stepped beside him and pulled lightly on his sleeve, "Come on. I'm sure Sakura will be happy to see you." Syaoran smiled and the two of them continued down the street.

**c**

Sakura awoke around 3:00 that afternoon and cried out in pain. Her back was hurting worse than before. She swung her feet out of bed and slumped over. _My back is burning…_ Tears began to well up in Sakura's eyes. _What's happening to me?_

Sakura got up and walked over to her mirror. She turned around, picked up her shirt and gazed over her shoulder into the mirror. She gasped. There were red welts all over her back on top of the dark blue and purple bruise that spanned from her lower back all the way up to her shoulders.

"Hey Sakura…oh my god." Kero flew into the room and stopped in mid air with his jaw down to the ground.

"W-what's happening to me?" Sakura murmured with tears threatening to explode from her emerald eyes. Kero floated over and examined her back with a dark expression.

"I don't know." Kero replied discouragingly. Sakura grabbed a tissue off of her bedside table and wiped her teary eyes.

"It hurts so much." Sakura whimpered, dropping her used tissue in the garbage can. She walked out of her room and down her stairs into her living room. She sat upon her couch and rested her face in her hands. _What am I going to do?_

Just then, there was a knock on her door. Sakura got up and began walking towards the door. She peered out a window and saw it was Tomoyo and Syaoran. With a melancholy smile, she went up to the door and opened it.

"Hey." Sakura said tiredly.

"Hey Sakura. We came to see how you were doing." Tomoyo smiled warmly. Sakura gaze went from Tomoyo to Syaoran whose height was towering over her smaller friend. Sakura opened her door all the way and led them in.

"I'm not doing too well." Sakura groaned, leaning against a wall, "My back is getting worse."

"How so?" Syaoran asked.

"Look for yourself." Tomoyo looked to Syaoran and Syaoran mouthed to her, "You do it." Tomoyo nodded and took the edge of her shirt between her fingers. She pulled it up and gasped.

"It was only a bruise before!" Syaoran exclaimed. Sakura nodded sullenly.

"I know. I woke up a little while ago and noticed the blisters."

"Go to the living room with Syaoran and I'll make some tea." Tomoyo said. Sakura nodded and pushed her tired body onto Syaoran. He held her gently, careful not to touch her back and helped her to the couch in the room. She leant her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I heard voices and…You." Kero flew down the stairs and glared at Syaoran reproachfully.

"And Tomoyo!" Tomoyo called from the kitchen. She came out with four cups of tea on a platter. She set it down on the coffee table and handed one to Syaoran and Sakura. Sakura opened one eye and sipped the tea, still leaning on Syaoran. Kero eyed him with irritation.

"Is the tea alright?" Tomoyo asked Sakura. Sakura nodded. Tomoyo smiled without much cheer and pulled the bag of herbs from her backpack. She threw it to Syaoran who caught it without looking. Kero just stared at the bag with widened eyes.

"What is that?" He gaped.

"Don't get your fur in a bunch Kero. It's not any kind of drug. They're herbs from my herb garden." Tomoyo explained. Kero landed on the arm of the chair she was sitting on. Kero eyes the bag suspiciously.

"What do you need Syaoran?" Tomoyo got up and stared intently at Syaoran.

"A bowl of hot water and a handkerchief." Syaoran replied. He opened the bag and grabbed a handful. He sorted through them, picking the biggest leaves and putting them into a neat pile on the coffee table.

"What are you going to do?" Kero asked, his tone still agitated. Syaoran looked up from his sorting and stared at Kero blankly.

"I'm going to heal her back." He said simply.

"What?" Kero gawked.

"As the next leader of the Clan, one of my duties is to be a healer."

"At this age? Impossible."

"You're wrong. My teaching have been hastened because I was born with the gift for healing. The leader of the Li Clan is getting sicker as the day's progress." Syaoran started sorting the leaves again and Kero just stared, his expression aghast. _No one this age can heal with just herbs. I mean someone with the tool's like Sakura can do it but Syaoran? He's too young to possess such powers._

Tomoyo came out with a steaming bowl of water and a beige handkerchief in the crook of her elbow. She set the bowl down in front of him and handed the cloth to him. Syaoran took a deep breath and began the painstaking task.

Syaoran took the teacup from Sakura's hand and lifted her head from his shoulder. Tomoyo jumped up and helped Syaoran flip Sakura over onto her stomach. Sakura's body was limp because she was drowsing. Syaoran lifted the edge of Sakura's shirt. He and Tomoyo exchanged concerning stares.

"I need the whole affected area." Syaoran said. Tomoyo nodded understandingly and helped him pull Sakura's shirt up her back. They carefully pushed Sakura's arms through the armholes of her shirt and set her frail arms beside her again. Then with shaky fingers, Syaoran unhinged her bra clasp.

Syaoran breathed in deeply, glad that that part of the task was over. He took the leaves in his hand and set them into the bowl of now warm water. Syaoran closed his eyes and focused himself. He dipped his index finger into the water and stirred the water and the leaves three times clockwise while muttering a spell in Chinese. He pulled his finger from the liquid and held his hand on top of the water. As he continued is mellow chant, the hand that was hovering over the bowl of water contracted and began to pulse. Kero stared with wide eyes as Syaoran continued his heated spell. Tomoyo sat and wished she had brought her video camera.

Syaoran's eyes snapped open and he looked down at the water. It was now softly glowing a faint white. Syaoran wiped the beads of sweat that had produced from his brow and picked up the handkerchief. He dipped the handkerchief into the glowing water and wrung it out, gazing sidelong at the moistened cloth. He brought it over to Sakura's back and lightly dabbed it over some of the worst welts. He held it there for a moment and then pulled it away. Sakura cried out softly.

"What's the matter?" Kero snapped.

"It's going to sting a little." Syaoran dipped the cloth back into the bowl and continued dabbing Sakura's back. It was starting to look a little better already.

As the minutes passed, Kero's jaw dropped farther and farther. Sakura's back was healing remarkably quick. He gazed at Syaoran with defeat. _Now I feel kind of stupid for doubting him._

Tomoyo got up and knelt beside Sakura on the couch. Her cries were getting louder and sounding more excruciating. She could see the mental battle Syaoran was in, knowing he was hurting her but saving her at the same time. It made Tomoyo realise just how remarkable a person Syaoran was.

Syaoran dipped the cloth in the glowing water for the last time and ran it across Sakura's back, running over any bruise or small welt he hadn't already tackled. Once he knew her back was totally healed, he collapsed backwards and took a wearied sigh of relief. Tomoyo ran into the kitchen and brought out a towel to dry Sakura's back with. She drew it along Sakura's back, wiping the glimmering white droplets from her skin. She re-hooked Sakura's bra-clasp and pulled her shirt back on. Tomoyo cleaned up the bowl and the cloth and put the rest of the herbs back into the plastic bag and into her backpack. She put a comforting hand on Syaoran's shoulder.

"You alright?" She asked. Syaoran looked up at her and smiled.

"Yeah." Syaoran ran his fingers thorough his hair and pulled himself upwards, "I just hope she's alright."

**c**

An hour later, Sakura awoke and sat up with her hand on her back. She jumped from her bed and checked her back in the mirror. She stared at the healthy back in the mirror, dumbfounded.

"What happened Kero?" Sakura uttered, aghast. Kero floated from the bed in her drawer to her.

"Tomoyo and the 'kid' came over." Kero said.

"I was awake for that." Sakura remarked.

"The 'kid' he…he healed you."

"What?" Sakura spun around and stared at Kero with widened eyes.

"He used some Chinese spell with herbs and healed you." Kero muttered, feeling defeated. Sakura got starry eyed and fell back onto her back as if she was being swooned.

"Oh Syaoran…" Sakura snatched the teddy he had given her on the bed and held it to her heart. Kero rolled his eyes and grumbled inaudibly about the 'kid's' effect on his Mistress's mind.

**c**

**Okay...come on guys. I love the people who review but I'm starting to get a little sad. Can I at least get maybe 4 reviews for this chapter? It's not that much to ask. I'll even put a shout-out to you on my next chapter. I really love feedback and and I'm not really getting too much. :(**

**On a lighter note, this is probably my favourite chapter. It's cute and it dwells a little deeper into the mysterious life of Syaoran Li. And lucky for you guys, the drama is only beginning! **

**PS I don't own CCS**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Truth and Lies**

**Thursday night…**

_RING…RING…_

Sakura awoke from her daydreams and ran to the nearest phone. She snatched it off the hook and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" She queried.

"Hey Sakura." Sakura's father's voice replied.

"Hi Dad! When will you be home?"

"Very soon. How are you feeling? Your school called me saying that they excused you from school because you were tired and sick."

"I'm much better now." Sakura refrained from telling her father about her back.

"That's good. I was worried about you but I didn't want to call just in case you were resting."

"Well I'm feeling much better now. Shall I make anything for dinner?"

"Don't you remember? Were going to the art exhibit tonight and I was going to treat you all for dinner afterwards."

Sakura smacked herself mentally. _How could I have forgotten?_

"Oh right! I'll go get ready then. When will you be home?"

"What time is it now?"

Sakura looked around for a clock. She slid over to the kitchen and checked the time in the microwave.

"It's 4:50."

"Ok, I'll be home around 5:30. Touya is coming home with me. Make sure you're ready by the time we get home alright?"

"Hai! See you soon."

"Goodbye" Sakura hung up the phone and ran to her closet. _What should I wear? Hmm…_ Sakura sifted through her closet. She probed deeper and deeper into her closet and picked something that caught her eye. She pulled out the green dress with the silver trim and set it out on her bed. She smoothed out the wrinkles and rubbed the soft fabric. She grabbed a pair of flat silver shoes and set them beside the dress. _I think I'll wear this!_ Sakura grinned and stripped down. She slipped the dress onto her elegant body and smoothed the fabric against her dainty curves.

"Looks nice." Kero floated into the room with a box of cookies in his hands. He sat down on the bed and examined her, "Why the dress? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah. My father is taking Touya and I to an art exhibit and then taking us to dinner afterwards." Sakura smiled and began to brush her light brown hair.

"I see. Are you sure you're not going on some hot date?" Kero asked a little too seriously. Sakura stopped brushing her hair and gave Kero a stern look.

"No I'm not. I'm going to an art exhibit." Sakura repeated herself firmly. Kero shrugged his little shoulders and began to eat his cookies.

"Hey, could I go with you?" Kero asked between bites. Sakura looked at him with scepticism.

"Will you behave yourself?" Sakura asked with doubt.

"Yes! I'll stay in your purse and I won't do a thing! I just don't want to leave you alone with that psychotic magician lurking about." Kero ranted. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Just don't embarrass me."

"Yes all powerful Mistress." Kero did an awkward phoney bow towards Sakura. She, in return, rolled her eyes and flicked him in the head. He tumbled sideways and Sakura sat down in Kero's former spot and stole a cookie.

"Hey! Those are my cookies!" Kero regained himself and dived onto Sakura, trying to pry the cookie from her hand. Sakura stuffed the cookie into her mouth and laughed. She was sure Tomoyo would have loved to catch this on tape.

**c**

"We're home!" Touya's voice yelled from downstairs around 5:45 or so. Sakura came downstairs and greeted her family at the door.

"Hello!" Sakura smiled and grabbed her father's jacket and hung it in the closet. Touya walked by and dropped his jacket on Sakura's head.

"Hey!" Sakura stepped back and stomped on Touya's foot.

"Eaae!" Touya shrieked and held his foot in his hands. Sakura grinned with satisfaction. Fujitaka just smiled and went up the stairway. Touya followed right behind him after giving Sakura a very harmful stare. Sakura just smiled.

**c**

After ten minutes, everyone loaded themselves into Fujitaka's car and they left for the art museum. As they drove up to the building, Sakura couldn't help but remember when she had sneaked into the art gallery to capture the Silent Card. _What a troublesome card it was to capture!_ She chuckled softly.

Fujitaka pulled into the crowded parking lot and found a spot a decent walk away from the doors. Sakura was glad she picked a pair of flats to wear.

"You alright Kaijou? I heard you got sent home sick." Touya commented on their way through the parking lot.

"Yeah, I'm better now. I just needed a little rest." Sakura definitely didn't want to tell Touya about Syaoran. _He already flipped when he heard that Syaoran was back. I wonder how he knew…_

"Did that stuffed animal tag along?" Touya murmured to Sakura. She stared back with widened eyes.

"How do you know about him?" She asked. Touya rolled his eyes.

"Well put two and two together my super dense and naïve sister. My best friend is Yukito who is actually Yue. How would I not know about Kero?" Touya rolled his eyes. Sakura looked away and silently cursed at herself for being so stupid sometimes.

Sakura and her family entered the gallery. It was full of people who were all crowded around the main room examining the new pieces of art Kuriyama Kyoko had on display. They went to piece to piece, inspecting the fine brush strokes, the definite details and the gorgeous picture those two aspects created. After seeing almost all of them, Sakura's favourite was a picture of a young girl and boy in traditional clothing, standing hand in hand on a viewing bridge.

Finally, they went to the final piece of art; the most anticipated piece called 'Emerald Eyed Angel'. Kyoko raved on how she thought she saw this angel in her dreams but knew she was real somehow. Everyone was crowded around the popular piece so Sakura and her family waited patiently to see it. At last, a couple of people left the painting and walked away. A woman who was walking with a man pointed to Sakura who stared and nodded. Sakura felt somewhat uncomfortable and looked away. Touya cleared a little bit of room for his smaller sibling and squeezed her in so she could see the picture. He looked up and was startled.

Sakura peeked through two people's shoulders and almost fell over when she saw the painting. It was a painting of a teenage girl with stunning green eyes and angelic wings sprouting from her back. In her right hand you could see that she was holding a pink stick. Sakura stared aghast. _That…That's me!_

Touya grabbed her upper arm and glared at her angrily.

"What is this?" He growled softly, motioning to the picture.

"I don't know!" Sakura whispered back feeling overwhelmed. She slid out of the crowd and was followed by her brother.

"No wonder everyone has been staring at you. You've got to get out of here." Touya began to lead her away.

"Attention everyone. I am honoured to introduce the phenomenal artist and the fairest lady I have ever seen, Kuriyama Kyoto!" Everyone's head turned to the speaker who stood on an elevated platform. He smiled and gave up his spot to a beautiful, exotic looking young woman who looked terribly familiar to Sakura. And then it hit her.

_That was the woman I saved from the mist on that cliff! HOE! _Sakura tried to escape but mobs of people began crowding around the stage and trapped Sakura. She and her brother had no choice but to wait until after the crowd dissipated a little to escape.

"Welcome my friends to my art presentation." There was a long lapse of claps before Kuriyama Kyoto could begin again, "Thank you. Today you have witnessed the debut of my prized piece 'Emerald Eyed Angel'. I would love to tell you all personally why I painted this piece. I was taking a midnight stroll like I often do when something grabbed my ankle. It pulled me off the cliff and I held onto a root praying that someone would hear my scream and someone would come save me. My prayers were answered when a beautiful young angel with emerald eyes and glorious wings on her back came to me and lifted me to safety. I felt so blessed to be saved by someone so fair that I painted that piece for her as a gift for my thankfulness." The crowd stood with awed expressions. Sakura wanted to sink into the ground.

Kuriyama Kyoto finished her speech and left the stage, basking in applause and glory. Sakura took her chance and ran outside. Kero popped out of her purse and frowned.

"That is not very fortunate now is it." Kero muttered, landing on Sakura's shoulder as she sat down on a bench.

"Hoe…How am I going to explain this?"

"Yeah. I'd like to know." Touya's voice snapped. Sakura turned her head towards him and looked away in shame.

"I saved her Wednesday of last week. I didn't know who she was." Sakura mumbled. Touya sighed.

"We better get going. Is he with you?" Touya asked.

"You mean me?" Kero queried, popping out from behind Sakura's shoulder.

"Yeah. Sakura, go to the car and I'll get Father." Touya turned around and went back into the gallery. Sakura started towards the car sadly. She didn't want to ruin the night for her father but she had no choice.

A few minutes after, Touya and Fujitaka walked to the car and got in. They drove home in silence and when they were home Sakura and Touya went to go upstairs.

"Not so fast." Fujitaka said. Sakura and Touya both turned and stared at their father, "I'd like to know a few things before you two go anywhere." Touya and Sakura exchanged defeated glances. They were going to have to tell him everything.

"So tell me, from the very beginning, what has happened behind my back?" Fujitaka sat on a chair across from Touya and Sakura who were sitting on the couch, looking abash.

"Well…I" Sakura began. Fujitaka raised his eyebrows in a harsh arch.

"It all began with that book that you couldn't open down in the basement when I was nine. I opened it and released all the Cards that were inside. They were called Clow Cards."

"You mean Clow Reed? The magician written in legends?" Fujitaka questioned.

"Yes. He created 53 Cards and I let 51 escape."

"Where were the other two?"

"I had one in my hands and the other was never put into the book but I'll get to that. Remember the lion on the front of the book?" Fujitaka nodded, "Well that lion came to life but in a much different form. He dubbed me a Card Captor and my task was to capture all the cards that I released into the world." Fujitaka just stared. Sakura was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, "Soon I captured all the Cards with the help of Syaoran," Touya grunted noisily, "And I faced the final judgement with the Moon Guardian who is like the lion on the front. Cerberus and Yue. Anyway, I won against Yue and was chosen as the Mistress of the Clow. I changed the Cards into Sakura Cards and finally captured the very last Card during the summer of grade 6." Fujitaka looked a little confused.

"Do you have magical powers too?" He addressed Touya.

"I did until I gave them to Yukito and saved his life." Touya replied.

"Yukito?"

"Yukito is Yue. They are two different beings in the same body." Touya explained.

"What?" Fujitaka just stared at his two children, unable to speak. The only thing that ran through his mind was the fact that he had been oblivious to it all this time.

"I'm sorry I never told you Father but I-" Fujitaka cut Sakura off.

"No. It's all right. I think I understand." Fujitaka looked away. Kero slipped out of Sakura's purse and flew up to her shoulder.

"Does that mean I get to roam around the house now?" Kero asked. Fujitaka stared at him with the utmost shock.

"Umm…" He managed to mutter.

"Yeah I'm Cerberus. Just call my Kero." Kero did a little spin in the air and sat down on Sakura's leg. Fujitaka just stared, trying to take it all in. He shook his head very slowly and got up.

"I think…I think I'm going to go to bed." He got up and retreated upstairs. Touya and Sakura exchanged glances.

"I suppose his reaction could have been worse." Sakura remarked playing with her hair.

"I'm going to bed. Hopefully he will be a little less distant in the morning." Touya got up and smiled at his younger sister, "Good night."

"Good night." Sakura smiled and watched his disappear up the stairs. She turned to Kero and sighed. _My poor father. He must feel so misled, thinking that his children were normal. And normal we are not, definitely not. We're stuck in something we may not be able to pull ourselves out of. This mysterious magician has tried to harm me and I'm sure it won't be the last time. And now our only tactics that we can use are blunt skill and chaste hope…if they are there for us to use at all._

**c**

**Thank you! I got more reviews than I wished for and I am ecstatic! Thank you lil wolf lover, Boheme, Rikku-Tasuki, skye668, CCS FOREVER and TamoumatheStarWarrior! I love you guys sooo much! I'm so glad that i'm finally getting some feedback from readers! You don't know how happy this makes me!**

**On another note, this chapter was like yawnsville because it was the chapter to tie up the incident that happened in Chapter 1. And plus our favourite Fujitaka gets an eyeful on what his lovely children have been up to. **

**I'm looking for a minimum of 5 reviews this time! I would love it if you would give me some feedback because I love it so and it fuels me to write even faster, knowing that I have people who enjoy my writing! Fluff and kisses! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Telephone**

**The next day…Friday**

Sakura ran downstairs and was greeted by her brother.

"Where is Father?" Sakura asked. Touya put her breakfast and a packed lunch in front of her.

"He left very early for work. I guess he didn't want to have a confrontation this morning." Touya replied. Sakura nodded and polished off her breakfast. She grabbed her school stuff and was about to put her roller-blades on when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Sakura called and opened the door. Tomoyo, who wrapped her arms around Sakura in a tight embrace, greeted her. She pulled away and smiled.

"How are you? Is your back sore? Did anymore of those welts show up?" Tomoyo probed her with questions. Sakura just smiled.

"I'm great, in fact my back feels really good." Sakura beamed. Tomoyo sighed in relief.

"I came to pick you up just in case if you were still feeling crummy. Come on." Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hand and led her outside and into her limousine.

"So what happened while I was sleeping?" Sakura asked, "Kero said that Syaoran healed me."

"Yes he did." Tomoyo got a distant look in her eyes, "It was breathtaking to observe, watching his direct all his concentration to healing your back. You're so lucky to have him, Sakura." Sakura looked down, feeling the blush creep up to her cheeks.

"I-I know." She leaned back onto the leather seats and closed her eyes, "Syaoran…"

"Do you love him?" Tomoyo asked quietly. Sakura did not look towards her. She remained silent and twirled her fingers in her hair.

"I never stopped loving him." She whispered quietly. Tomoyo smiled, content that she now knew their feelings for each other. She would make sure nothing would stand in their way to happiness, especially when it would make her beloved Sakura the happiest girl on earth.

The limousine pulled up to the school and the two girls got out. They walked into the courtyard and Sakura spotted Chali. Chali grinned and sped towards her.

"You all right? I heard you left school early yesterday." Chali said. Sakura nodded.

"I'm fine now." Sakura glanced towards Tomoyo who looked a little confused, "This is Chali." Tomoyo smiled and bowed slightly.

"I'm Tomoyo. It's nice to meet you." Chali smiled and brushed one of her dread locks behind her shoulders. Sakura noticed one of her fingernails was exceptionally longer than the other.

"Um, Chali? I think one of your claws is showing." Sakura pointed to Chali's hand. She looked at it and her claw turned normal in an instant. She laughed sheepishly.

"Sometimes dey sneak out widout me even noticing." She grinned peculiarly, "Cute Syaoran was looking for you. He's worried about you."

"Do you know where he is now?" Sakura queried.

"He's in da school right now. Go find him, darling." Sakura nodded and started for the school. Tomoyo followed and flashed Chalandra a smile. _What a nice girl._ She thought.

Sakura raced through the hall but did not find Syaoran at his locker. She ran to her locker to grab her books and ran up to her class. Sakura looked forward to seeing his handsome face and showing him her gratitude. They pushed open the door and spotted Syaoran pacing by his seat. Sakura ran over to him.

"Sakura!" he exclaimed, "Are you alright?" Syaoran asked, franticly concerned.

"I'm fine thanks to you." Sakura put her books on her desk and embraced the boy then craned her neck upwards and kissed him on the cheek. A goofy grin plastered itself onto Syaoran's face, something Tomoyo would have loved it capture on film. Sakura blushed at her spontaneous smooch and sat down at her desk. Syaoran sat down too, still with a silly smirk playing on his handsome features. Sakura contemplated on how a simple peck on the cheek could make him so mawkish.

"What are you doing on the weekend Sakura?" Tomoyo asked, resisting the urge to laugh at Syaoran.

"I don't think I'm doing anything." Sakura replied.

"You should go for a walk with Syaoran. I'm sure he would ask you himself if he weren't so air headed from that kiss you gave him." Tomoyo chuckled. Sakura blushed furiously.

"Huh?" Syaoran grunted, waking from his reverie, "Did you say something to me?"

"Nope! Nothing at all." Tomoyo smirked inwardly. She was going to make sure she got some super kawaii footage from the two infatuated teenagers before the weekend was over.

**c**

Sakura walked home that day after school and took a minor detour to walk through 'Penguin Park'. She walked amongst the cherry blossom trees and recalled the memories that flashed through her brain. There had been many Card captures here. It was almost as if magic was drawn to this place. It was one of her favourite places to be.

Sakura took a moment and stared at the swing set. She envisioned herself there in the tender embrace of Syaoran after being rejected by Yukito. Sakura smiled and realised just how fortunate she was to Syaoran back. She just wished they were in love like they once were again. She would not deny that she was head over heals with him but she had doubts about his feelings. She didn't want to have her heart broken by the man she had loved forever if he refused her. For all she knew, he could be engaged with someone back in Hong King. _Love is too hard a game to play._ She thought to herself, turning away from the park and making her way home again.

**c**

Syaoran stood out on the balcony of his apartment and shivered. _Why did it get so cold all of the sudden?_

"Syaoran-sama, your mother wishes to speak with you." Wei called from inside. Syaoran walked in and closed the glass door behind him.

"Hello Mother." He said into the phone, slipping into his native tongue.

"Syaoran dear. How are you?"

"I'm fine mother. How are you?"

"Curious. What is happening in Tomoeda?"

"Much is happening. There is a mysterious magician targeting Sakura and this town with series' of magical attacks involving the weather."

"The weather? Have you seen this magician?"

"Only his silhouette and his very blue eyes."

"So he's the man you've been seeing in your dreams?"

"Unfortunately yes. His attacks have already killed a man and injured Sakura."

"Injured her? Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's fine now. I healed her."

"You healed her?"

"Yes."

"I am proud of you Syaoran. You will grow up to be a powerful leader of the Clan one day." Syaoran cringed at the mentioning of it.

"Keep me updated on the happenings in Tomoeda. I might be able to help you figure out the guise of this magician."

"Yes mother."

"How is Sakura now?"

"She's um…very uh…good. Yeah she's good."

"I'm anticipating meeting her again. I know how happy she makes you." Syaoran almost choked on his saliva.

"Um, how about we don't talk about this over the phone." Syaoran could feel the blush creeping onto his face. Yelan laughed.

"Alright. Goodbye Syaoran."

"Goodbye." Syaoran took a deep breath and hung up the phone. He grumbled sourly to himself about how his mother seemed to know everything and fell back onto his bed. He looked over to the phone in his hand and found the courage inside of himself to call Sakura. He dialled her number and listened to it ring. Someone picked up and two people simultaneously rang out a greeting.

"Um, hi. Can I speak with Sakura?"

"It's you." A voice growled. Syaoran swallowed hard, realising it was Touya's voice.

"Hi Syaoran! Hang up Touya." Sakura's voice chimed. There was a grumble on the other end. Sakura waited for a moment.

"I don't think he hung up. Stupid brother." Syaoran could hear thumps on the other line.

"Get off the phone!" She screamed. Syaoran held the phone away from his ear. There were more grumbles and finally they heard the phone click.

"How are you doing Syaoran?" Sakura asked, sitting on the stairs keeping an eye on Touya. She didn't want him eavesdropping on her conversation.

"Um, I'm doing good. What are you, um, doing on the weekend?" Syaoran asked, trying desperately to keep himself composed.

"Nothing, I think." She replied.

"Cool, I mean not cool, I mean yeah." Syaoran muttered.

"You know, if you want to do something you just have to ask me." Sakura said. Touya's eyes narrowed. Syaoran choked for the second time that day.

"Are you okay Syaoran? You sound like you're dying over there." Sakura asked.

"No, I'm fine. I, um, do you want to go for a walk tomorrow?" Syaoran managed to choke out. Sakura eyed her scowling brother.

"And when should I use the Time Card?" Sakura asked strategeticly, trying to throw her brother off.

"Huh? Oh are you trying to cover up whet you're saying because your brother is there?"

"Yes." She replied.

"Ok well um, let's say uh, meet me at Penguin Park at noon."

"Alright I'll pick up my stuff at Tomoyo's at noon. Thanks for letting me know."

"You're a good liar Sakura. Is he still staring at you evilly?"

"No. She was just giving me this uncomfortable look."

"Alright well I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Syaoran!" Syaoran hung up the phone and moaned into the pillow he picked up and smashed onto his face. _Why does she make me feel the way I do?_

**c**

**Hey! I got my five reviews that I wanted plus one! but one of them isn't showing up for some reason (lil wolf lover). Special thanks to Boheme, seohaee, TamoumatheStareWarrior, Mew Frost, BundyAngel and lil wolf lover . Even if you've already reviewed before on another chapter, I would love to hear from you again to see what you thought of the latest installment. **

**Well this was another one of my filler boring chapters. I promise the next chapter will be better but unfortunatly it will be coming out late because I've been chosen to judge the annual Gothic Novelette Award so along with homework, school and reading 28 worthy novelettes, I will be soooooo busy. I promise the next chapter will be worthwhile (full of Syaoran and Sakura fluff).**

**Please! I'm looking for 7+ reviews for this chapter this time! The more reviews I get, the faster chapter 11 will appear. **

**Love and fluff, Bronte!**


	11. Chapter 11

**warning: mild language**

**Chapter 11: Snowy Rendezvous**

**Saturday morning…**

The streaming light gushing from Sakura's window strayed onto her body and woke her up slowly. _Oh, I should have closed the blinds…_Sakura dragged herself out of bed and turned to her clock. It read 10:40.

_I better get up. I need to get ready._ Sakura smiled dreamily and gazed out the window. _The sun is shining but it looks rather cold outside._ Sakura opened her window slightly and shivered as the cold air sneaked through the crack and chilled her skin. _So much for early spring. Let's just hope it doesn't snow!_

Sakura ran into the washroom and took a quick shower. She primped her hair and applied some light make-up, just mascara and lip-gloss. She dashed back into her room and dug through her closet. She found an outfit Tomoyo made and threw it onto her bed to examine it.

It was a long sleeved shirt and a skirt ensemble with a cloak-shawl. It was a hazelnut brown colour, very much like the colour of her hair. The skirt was long and the sleeves of the shirt flared out. Tomoyo had made it for her for casual winter wear and because it was so cold outside, Sakura decided to put it on.

As she slipped the outfit on, she relished as she felt the soft fabric against her skin. The material Tomoyo used was always so soft and Sakura always looked forwards to wearing her creations, knowing that she is looking exceptionally stylish but she's being comfy at the same time.

After she finished dressing, she ran downstairs and went into the kitchen to grab something to eat. She realised her brother had left for work and spotted her father at the kitchen table, marking some sheets.

"Ohayoo gosaimazu." Sakura greeted respectably. Her father still hadn't said much since Thursday night's events.

"Ohayoo Sakura. Where are you off to?" Fujitaka replied vacantly, not looking up from the papers he was working on.

"I'm going to meet Syaoran in the park. Don't tell Touya though. He might have a fit." Sakura smiled and grabbed some left over noodles from the fridge and stuck them into the microwave to heat.

"I won't." He replied and continued working on his papers. Sakura stared at him with a sad expression and pulled her noodles from the microwave. She gobbled them down quickly and washed the container in the sink. She came up to her sitting father and gave him a hug.

"I love you dad." Sakura lingered in the hug for a moment and then released her father. A little smile crept onto his lips. Sakura left the kitchen and grabbed her purse but stopped at the door. She slowly opened her purse and shoved her hand inside.

"Kero!" She screamed at the little yellow animal she pulled out of her purse. He hung from her fingers, looking guilty.

"Sorry but with that magician…" He trailed off. Sakura glared at him angrily and let the creature go.

"Not today Kero. You can stay here." Sakura zipped up her purse and left in a hurry, leaving Kero behind. He floated upstairs, feeling rejected.

**c**

Syaoran stood amongst the cherry blossoms as he waited for Sakura in Penguin Park. He arrived ten minutes early just in case she came early which he highly doubted. He knew what she was like when it came to mornings. He was walking towards one of the trees when he felt two nimble arms wrap around him in an embrace.

"Syaoran! How are you?" Sakura's voice rang. Syaoran's face stiffened and started turning pink.

"I-I'm, uh, good." Syaoran stuttered back. Sakura released him and skipped around to his face.

"It sure is cold! Let's walk." Sakura grinned a million-watt smile. It was enough to make Syaoran's knees weaken and his heart beat madly. The started walking down the worn path and Syaoran couldn't help but glance over at Sakura, her complexion glowing softly in the sun._ She's become so beautiful._

"Thank you Syaoran," Sakura blushed deeply. Syaoran smacked himself in the head mentally and cursed himself for forgetting about their crazy telepathy. Sakura giggled at Syaoran's antics and continued walking. _It's funny how he puts up his barriers to the rest of the world and they seem to melt when I'm around. Tomoyo was the first to tell me that but I can't deny that it's true!_ Sakura thought to herself. Syaoran grunted. Sakura turned and gazed at Syaoran who had a little smile on his lips. _That amethyst-eyed woman knows everything…_Syaoran mused.

"This is so weird. You hearing my thought while I hear yours without even realising it!" Sakura exclaimed.

"It will come into use someday. But I'm sure we'll know a lot more about each other before it comes into any use." Syaoran chuckled quietly, deep in his throat. Sakura couldn't help but feel those troublesome butterflies fly around in her stomach.

They continued walking down the path, littered with strewn leaves and little broken branches from the wind last weekend. Syaoran noticed how much colder and colder it seemed to get and glanced over at Sakura who was trying to warm her hands with no such luck.

"Here." Syaoran turned and enveloped her hands with his. He rubbed them gently for a moment and blew warm air onto them. Sakura just stared there looking stunned. She snapped herself out of it and noticed how warm his big hands were. He looked up from her hands and stared into her emerald orbs.

"Do you want to sit down?" He motioned to a bench with his head. Sakura nodded and they walked over to the bench. They sat down and Sakura inched towards Syaoran until she was touching shoulders with him. She shivered and Syaoran got the hint and wrapped his arm around her. She snuggled into his side.

"Tell me about your life in Hong Kong." Sakura said. Syaoran stiffened for a moment.

"Well, I'm being trained to be the next leader of the Clan which is something I've been dreading my whole life. I'm being taught non-stop about everything a leader is meant to know. Some of the stuff is actually useful while the other stuff is just exaggerated bull-shit." Syaoran and Sakura shared a small laugh; "It's boring really. I'm glad I got the chance to come back to Japan. If I had the choice, I would want to stay here permanently."

"Is Hong Kong really that bad?"

"The lights are unbearable. I fall asleep to them and I wake up to them. My power is drawn from the moon and those stupid lights just dilute its rays. I feel so empty sometimes there. The school I go to there is horrible. Everyone there thinks they are better than everyone else is because they come from a rich family and have a promised future. Though my mother still urges me each day with my studies and my lessons, she knows where my heart truly lies."

"What?" Sakura asked, sounding a little dazed.

"You'll find out in time." Syaoran smiled down at Sakura. She smiled back and snuggled into Syaoran's chest. _He's so warm…_

"Tell me about your family Syaoran."

"Well, there isn't really that much to say. My mother is good and my sisters are still in love with anything cute." Syaoran chuckled.

"What about your father?" Sakura asked warily. She never heard him say anything about his father.

"He died many years ago when I was six years ago. I was too young to understand fully but I later I realised he was murdered." Syaoran mumbled woefully. Sakura gasped and stared up at Syaoran.

"I'm so sorry." She muttered. Syaoran picked up his other hand and brushed her soft hair away from her eyes.

"It's alright. It was a long time ago." He replied. Sakura stared into his eyes and smiled.

"You know, your smile is beautiful." Syaoran remarked. Sakura blushed a deep crimson.

"T-thank you." She stammered. Syaoran could only smile. Suddenly, a snowflake fell onto Syaoran's nose.

"Snow?" Sakura queried, lifting her head and swiping the snowflake from his nose. They both gazed up and saw the snowflakes descending to the ground.

"So much for an early spring." Syaoran stated dryly.

"That's what I said this morning." Sakura replied.

The snow began to fall thicker and Syaoran decided they should probably head somewhere before they get buried. They started walking back from where they came, towards Penguin Park. Before they knew it, the snow began to plummet downwards, coming down in huge clumps. Syaoran and Sakura exchanged worried glances and made a mad dash towards the penguin slide. The dived beneath the penguin where the tunnel was and used it as shelter.

"It's definitely that magician, this time using snow as a weapon." Syaoran growled. If it was one thing he hated more, it was the cold.

"Uh oh. Were going to be trapped in here." Sakura stated, observing all the snow burying them in. Without a second thought, she pulled out her key and released it. She pulled out the Erase Card and ordered it to erase the snow around the hole so that they could escape. Sakura climbed out first and released the Shield to help protect her from the snow while she helped pull Syaoran out. Since he was significantly bigger, he had a little more trouble squeezing out of the hole than she did. Finally he popped out of the hole and landed on top of Sakura. He rolled off her, feeling very flustered and jumped upright. Sakura felt likewise but jumped up beside him to face this storm.

Sakura felt a bubble of anger grow inside of her. That magician was really pushing his luck with her. Not only did he hurt her back but also he had ruined a perfectly good moment with Syaoran. With a burning vengeance, she pulled out the Firey.

"I command you, Firey! Find the source of this wretched storm and weaken it with everything you have! Release!" Sakura struck the Card and a pyre of a spirit erupted from the Card and flew straight up into the sky, melting most of the snow as it went. The Firey spiralled in the sky, melting the clouds and causing it to rain down on the ground. The drops of rain steamed as they hit the concrete, sizzling like an egg in a frying pan. The Firey disappeared for a moment and then returned to a Card. A massive ball of glowing blue snow began to drop from the sky.

"Get ready!" Syaoran shouted. He jumped out of the Shield and hopped on top the King Penguin in two bounds. He waited for the opportune moment as the gigantic snowball fell to the ground. He muttered an incarnation and his jian sword covered itself with fire. (I know it's from Tsubasa! Don't eat me!) He flipped off the slide and sliced the ball of supernatural snow in half with distinct precision. Sakura aimed her wand and waited for Syaoran to get out of the way. Then she called out her chant and watched the light eat at the ball of snow.

Syaoran landed neatly a few meters away and ran over to Sakura. She didn't look like she was having any trouble disintegrating this ball of magic. It seemed to Syaoran that there was some hidden force inside her, driving her and giving her the vigour to finish off this irritating magician's creation.

Sakura finished off the sphere of sorcery and stepped back, her step faltering. Syaoran caught her gently and helped her up.

"Ohohohohoho! Some more super kawaii footage!" Tomoyo came out behind a bush and brushed the snow of herself, "Oh, the fun I will have watching this again! Ohohohoho!" Tomoyo skipped off down the passage, leaving Syaoran and Sakura to just stare and sweat-drop.

"Um, remind me why you still hang around her?" Syaoran said sarcastically. Sakura giggled.

"I had a hunch that Tomoyo had gone insane way back in grade 4. Now I have proof." Sakura replied. Syaoran chuckled.

"It's like, she can't miss a single opportunity to film you." Syaoran remarked.

"More like us. She was ranting all yesterday about finding some way to film us this weekend. How she knew where to find us, I suppose we'll never know." Sakura shrugged tiresomely and smiled up at Syaoran.

"What do you want to do now?" She asked, a twinkle in her eye.

"I don't know. Whatever you want." Syaoran replied.

"Then let's walk. It's become much warmer outside don't you think?"

"Yeah. You lead the way." Syaoran smiled. Sakura grinned and took his hand.

**c**

**Woot! Finally I get this chapter out! I have been so busy this week you have noooo clue. But the important thing is that the chapter is up! Special thanks to lil wolf lover, mEiyOnG, blueangelbaby, tamoumatheStarWarrior, Bundy Angel and Boheme (thanks for the reply! I enjoyed reading it).**

**There was a LOT of S + S fluff in this chapter. It was a lot of fun to write!**

**Vive Syaoran and Sakura**

**Love and Fluff, Bronte**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Loose Ends**

**Sunday Morning…**

Sakura awoke the next morning revived and refreshed. She hopped out of bed and opened her window, letting in the glittering sunshine and a warm gust of air. _It's a beautiful day!_

"You sure are giddy today." Kero remarked, floating out of his drawer and onto her shoulder.

"Yep!" Sakura replied cheerfully. She skipped out of her room and ran down the stairs. Kero followed her. She hopped into the kitchen and squeezed her brother in a tight embrace.

"Hey kaijou." Touya ruffled Sakura's hair. Sakura just ignored the comment and smiled.

"Ohayoo." She released her brother and hugged her father.

"Good morning Sakura. You sure are cheerful." Her father said. _Oh, I'm so glad father is happy today!_

"Yes I am! It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and all that silly snow is gone!" Sakura did a pirouette on the floor and sat upon her chair in one graceful move. Touya and Fujitaka just glanced at Sakura with a smile on their faces.

Sakura munched her breakfast and hopped up from the table. She ran up to her room, threw on a dress and decided she would go and visit Tomoyo. She waved goodbye to her father and brother and skated down the street, smiling and waving to the friends she passed.

"Sakura! How good it is to see you!" Sonomi embraced Sakura tightly and pulled away, "Oh you are so cute. I could just eat you!" Sonomi laughed and welcomed her into her home; "Tomoyo is upstairs editing another one of her movies. She's been ranting and raving about it ever since she came home yesterday afternoon." Sonomi shrugged and played with Sakura's hair fondly.

"Okay! Thank you." Sakura skipped upstairs and into Tomoyo's room. She wasn't in the main part of her room so she went into the adjoining room where her movie theatre was. There sat Tomoyo, in front of a laptop, chortling to herself in an insane, Tomoyo-like way.

"Hey Tomoyo!" Sakura greeted. Tomoyo got up from her couch and clobbered Sakura.

"Hello! Hohohohoho!" Tomoyo squealed. Sakura raised her eyebrows and patted Tomoyo gently on the head.

"What was in your breakfast this morning?" Sakura laughed. Tomoyo smiled and pulled Sakura to the couch.

"I just finished editing my new movie! Watch it!" Tomoyo flicked something on her laptop and a movie projected onto the screen.

"Ack! That's Syaoran and I!" Sakura stared at the screen with wide eyes. She watched herself and Syaoran walking down the beaten path and sit down on a bench.

"This is my favourite part! Look at you, all cuddles and cuteness to Syaoran and he definitely does not seem to mind!" Tomoyo exclaimed, her hands clasped beside her head dramatically. _Wow, I didn't know how intimate I was being. Look at that smile on his face. How handsome._ Sakura blushed and fumbled with her skirt. She watched herself and Syaoran get off the bench, walk down the path again and get bothered by that nuisance of a snowstorm. Tomoyo started to cackle again as Sakura tugged on Syaoran, trying to pull him out of the hole underneath the slide. Sakura felt her face getting redder and redder.

"Look at the two of you, fighting side by side, just like when you two were little. But now, you two have grown older and now passion is involved!" Tomoyo swooned onto the couch beside Sakura with starry eyes, "How romantic!" Sakura just sweat-dropped at her completely deranged friend.

**c**

Back in the Kinomoto residence, Touya sat at the kitchen table reading the newspaper while Fujitaka sat across from him, marking a few papers. Kero floated into the kitchen casually and disappeared into the food pantry.

"Where did Sakura go yesterday? She said something on the phone to the brat about picking something up of Tomoyo's at the park but I don't think that is the case." Touya looked over at his father suspiciously.

"I know nothing." Fujitaka replied with a hint of a smile on his face.

"I was wondering about that myself. She seemed enthralled after she came home yesterday evening." Kero remarked, emerging from the pantry with a pile of cookies in his paws. Fujitaka snapped around, startled, but calmed after recognising whom it was.

"Now I know who's been eating all the cookies." Fujitaka muttered.

"Hmm?" Touya stared expectantly, wondering what his father had said.

"Nothing." He replied, going back to his papers.

"Are you sure you don't know anything about what Sakura did yesterday?" Touya cocked his eyebrow. Kero floated over, awaiting his answer.

"I promised not to say a word." Fujitaka replied simply.

"She went for a walk with that brat didn't she?" Touya growled bitterly.

Fujitaka could only smile, "I swore under the oath of silence."

Touya scowled angrily, "If only I could get my hands on him…"

**c**

Syaoran sat on his bed and twirled the hilt of his jian sword between his fingers. He knew he was supposed to be practising but he would rather fanaticise about Sakura then do anything else. He tried to drag his mind away from thinking of her but he found he could think of nothing else. _She makes me dizzy, running circles in my head…She's driving me crazy!_ Syaoran got up and stood in the middle of the floor, still spinning his sword from the hilt like a baton. He spun it to his other hand behind his back and stopped it in front of him. He muttered a few words in Chinese and a gentle light seeped from the side of his sword. An illusion of a girl with light brown hair and emerald eyes appeared before him. He smiled for a moment but remembered that it was only an illusion and turned away. _I've faced many enemies and I've never felt more than a little frightened. Why am I terrified to ask Sakura out? _Syaoran shook his head. _Wait. Isn't there a dance coming up? Girls like dances. I suppose I could ask her if she would like to go with me. _Syaoran lifted his head and grimaced. _Wait…I can't do it…yes I can…oh god. What am I going to do!_

**c**

Sakura sauntered home after her interesting visit with Tomoyo silently. She waved casually to the people she knew that she passed but her mind was on other things. _Syaoran…he's stuck in my mind like glue! I can't get a thought through my brain without it somehow directing back to him…It's crazy!_ She gazed up at the blossoming cherry blossom trees and sighed. _He's become so tall. I bet he's as tall as my brother. And those muscular arms…mmm. _Sakura shook her head. _Wait, I have to get my mind off of him! Oh god, what am I going to do!_

Sakura returned home and was immediately cornered by her older brother.

"Where were you yesterday afternoon? What were you doing and who were you with?" Touya barked, not 5 centimetres from her face.

"Hoe! W-what is this? An interrogation?" Sakura stammered.

"Yes, if that's what you want to call it." His eyes narrowed, cornering poor Sakura to the wall.

"I-um-I went to the park with-um…Tomoyo! Yeah that's it!" Sakura managed to squeak out.

"You're lying." Touya growled. Sakura began to panic.

"Hoeeeee!" Sakura squealed.

"Leave her alone Touya. What she does shouldn't concern you. She's a young woman now, not a little girl." Fujitaka said, coming up from behind Touya and setting a firm hand on his shoulder. Touya raised himself stiffly and glared at Sakura. He walked away, mumbling to himself, and went upstairs. Sakura peeled herself off the wall and sighed.

"What's up with him?" Sakura asked her father. He just smiled and rolled his eyes.

"He's a little suspicious that's all." Fujitaka moved closer and whispered into Sakura's ear, "I didn't tell him you want for a walk with Syaoran. He figured that out himself." Sakura nodded and grimaced. _Stupid over-protective brother._

**c**

Chalandra sat upon her haunches in the bathroom of her apartment and filed her claws. Her ears and her tail protruded lazily. She wasn't going to make an effort to hide her true form in the comfort of her own home.

"You alive in dere? You've been in dere for an hour." A handsome older boy popped his head into the bathroom, his pointy teeth glimmering in the artificial light.

"Yeah, I'm alive." Chalandra replied, "Shouldn't you be working Camlo?"

"Naw. I have da day off. Da restaurant isn't open today for some reason. Why, you don't want you bestest big broder here to accompany you?" Camlo smiled sweetly and wiggled his black cat ears cutely. Chalandra rolled her eyes.

"Use some of your restaurant skills and make me some food." Chalandra said, turning her attention back to her nails.

"I don't cook! I only wait tables. Dey need handsome people like me to do dat you know." Camlo laughed and groomed himself.

"How someding so stupid ended up being my broder is beyond me." Chalandra muttered to herself.

**c**

Yukito sat in the middle of his tea-room, reading a book and sipping tea from a china cup. There was a knock on his door and Yukito jumped up from the mat he was sitting upon to greet the guest at his door.

"Touya!" Yukito exclaimed, seeing his best friend at his door.

"Yuki. How are you?" Touya smiled warmly. Yukito blushed.

"I-I'm fine. How about you?"

"Great. Can I come in?"

"Y-yes. Of course." Yukito opened the door wider and let Touya into his home, "Would you like some tea?"

"I would love some. You always make the best." Touya said. Yukito blushed and walked into his kitchen. He prepared the tea quickly and brought it out for Touya. He sat down beside him and stared into his eyes.

"You know, I wanted to talk about what happened the other night." Touya said quietly, looking down at his reflection in his tea.

'Y-yes?" Yukito stammered back, clearly afraid of the subject.

"Well I just wanted to say that…that I-I don't regret what happened and I-I'm glad." Touya whispered, still looking into his tea.

"I-I feel the same way." Yukito replied in a whisper. Touya tore his eyes away from his tea and stared deep into Yukito's eyes.

"Really?" He said quietly.

"Yes." Yukito smiled and reached over to touch Touya's hand. Touya met him halfway and held his hand in his own. No words could explain the adoration in their eyes as they stared at each other, basking in the comfortable silence. Touya set his tea upon a table and leant over to Yukito, their faces only centimetres apart. Touya's lips lightly brushed over Yukito's sending shivers running down his spine. In one swift movement, Touya took Yukito's lips with his own, crashing down on them with passion and urgency. Yukito met his compulsion and pried Touya's lips open without much of a problem. Their tongues met and fiercely fought each other's whilst Touya's hands scoured Yukito's body. They reluctantly pulled away, their lungs stinging from the lack of oxygen, their heads spinning from arousal.

"Shall we?" Touya gasped, standing up and pulling Yukito up with him. Yukito smiled in anticipation.

"You lead the way." Touya smiled and they walked across the floor, heading to one of the back rooms.

And we all know what happens next don't we?

**c**

Syaoran and Sakura collapsed on their beds to sleep, both of them eagerly anticipating the next day just to see each other's faces again. The night had enveloped Japan, bringing with it a blanket of stars to cover the sky and bright moon to lighten the way of anyone caught in the darkness. The moonlight seeped into their rooms through their windows, casting a gentle glow.

Syaoran took a deep breath and felt his body relax into his mattress as the light crept onto his body. A tingling sensation rushed inside of him, reaching every limb, pulsating with power. He rolled onto his side and fell asleep, visions of Sakura taking over his mind.

Sakura rolled onto her side and clasped a hand-made teddy in her arms, the one she had received from Syaoran. She held it up close to her face, still feeling the slight presence of Syaoran that it still possessed. She fell asleep soundlessly, visions of Syaoran taking over her mind.

Yet neither of them knew what was to come…

**c**

**Alrighty. This was just a filler kind of story, tying up all the loose ends, hence it's name. Thank you Boheme, lil wolf lover, blossomlover, blueangelbaby, TamoumatheStarWarrior, Miss.Redi and Mew Frost. Lovely reiews, thank you. Atleast most of them were more than a sentence long. hah.**

**More reviews please. I'm at chapter 11 with 37 review and I'm a little worried. If someone out there actually likes my story I'd love for you to give me a shout. PLEASE!**

**Fluff and kisses - Bronte**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Talk of the Town**

**Monday Morning…**

Sakura walked into the school courtyard and watched with curious eyes at the groups of giggling girls and the boys who were too nervous to approach the girls. It was the frenzy before the school dance, where the boys would try desperately to cough up the courage to ask a girl to take to the dance with him and girls would swoon and fantasise about boys they wished would ask them out. Sakura walked passed the giddy girls and sat among the cherry blossoms.

"Sakura! Good morning!" Rika and Naoko ran towards Sakura. Sakura waved and smiled.

"Morning! How are you two today?" Sakura replied.

"Great! Has anyone asked you to the dance yet?" Naoko asked.

"No. What about you?" Sakura answered flatly.

"Yeah. Ishida Akihiro asked me out over the weekend in the library." Naoko said dreamily.

"Ishida-san? He has the highest academics in the school!" Sakura cried, awed.

"I know. He's so dreamy." Naoko swooned and fell into daydream mode.

"What about you Rika? Have you been asked to the dance?"

"No but I know 'he' will be there." Rika put a strong emphasise on 'he'. Sakura nodded understandingly, knowing whom exactly she was talking about.

"Do you think he will ask you to dance?" Sakura asked curiously. She was never too up-to-date on the happenings between Rika and their teacher Terada-sensei.

"I don't know. Probably not." Rika replied, a bit of sadness evident on her gorgeous face. Sakura smiled and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"One day you two will live happily ever after. Everything will be okay!" Sakura grinned happily and brought her eyes to Naoko who was still out in la-la land. Sakura waved a hand in front of her eyes but she received no reply; not even a blink.

"What should we do with her?" Rika said, motioning to Naoko who was leaning on Rika's shoulder for support. Sakura shrugged with a goofy smile on her face.

"We can't just leave her here." Sakura looked around the courtyard. She spotted someone she knew wouldn't mind holding her upright, "Ishida-san!" A boy with light brown hair and glasses spun towards Sakura and smiled at his friend. They were in the same class together and had once been lab partners.

"Morning Kinomoto-san." He said, walking towards Sakura, Rika and Naoko.

"Hello! Would you mind trying to wake Naoko out of her daydreams? We can't seem to do it ourselves."

"Um, sure. What seems to be the problem?" He asked, taking the load off of Rika and holding her upper body in his arms. He looked up and spotted Sakura and Rika running away from him and Naoko. He shook his head and sighed. _Girls…They're something I will never understand._

**c**

Syaoran walked into the courtyard and immediately spotted Yamazaki and a soccer ball flying towards his head. Relying on instinct, Syaoran spun and kicked the ball as it smashed into his foot and it went flying into the goal.

"Holy crap Syaoran! You're still as good as you were way back in elementary school! Try out for the team!" Yamazaki exclaimed, jogging towards Syaoran. Syaoran shrugged.

"I might. When are try outs?" He asked.

"Mid May. You have to join the team!" Yamazaki ranted.

"Okay I'll think about it." Syaoran took off into the courtyard, mainly to find Sakura. He ran into Tomoyo instead. Her back was turned to him and she was talking to Chiharu.

"So Yamazaki-kun asked you to the dance?" Tomoyo asked.

"Of course! I would kill him if he didn't!" Chiharu replied, shaking her fist menacingly. Tomoyo laughed.

"Has anyone asked you yet?" Chiharu queried.

"No but I have other important things to attend to."

"Like what?"

"Like matchmaking of course! I've got to get a certain couple together." Tomoyo chortled insanely. Chiharu raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Well it involves a certain boy eavesdropping behind us!" Tomoyo turned around and stared down Syaoran who waved around franticly.

"I wasn't eavesdropping! I just came over to say hi!" Syaoran said in defence. Tomoyo smiled and got a weird glitter in her eyes.

"So, have you asked her to the dance yet?" Tomoyo asked insidiously, coming up beside him and clasping her hands by her face dramatically. Syaoran blanched and then turned bright red.

"I-I um…no." Syaoran stammered. Tomoyo turned to Chiharu and gave her an evil, cheeky grin.

"Well we'll have to fix that now won't we?" Tomoyo cackled mischievously. Syaoran glanced down at Tomoyo with wary eyes, not liking what he was seeing at all.

**c**

Chalandra sauntered into the courtyard and spotted a group of girls who enthusiastically waved at her and then turned around to continue ranting about whom was taking whom to the dance. She waved back with a friendly smile and then turned away. _What a bunch of giddy imbeciles._ She snickered to herself.

"Morning Chali!" a voice said. Chali looked in the direction of the voice and smiled.

"Hello Sakura." She replied, watching the young mistress and her pretty friend come running towards her.

"This is Rika! Rika, this is Chali." Sakura announced. Rika smiled at Chali warmly and bowed slightly.

"Nice to meet you." Rika said softly. Chali bowed to her as well.

"So, you two girls excited for da dance? It seems to be da big topic today." Chali mentioned.

"I am. I always look forward to the spring dance here because it signifies the beginning of this wonderful season here in Tomoeda…" As Rika went on, Sakura waved franticly behind her trying to catch Chali's attention. Chali noticed Sakura and watched her as she pointed rashly at her cheek. Chali raised a confused eyebrow at Sakura. Sakura started making actions, pretending to lick her hand and swipe it by her head as if she were a cat. Then she started pointing at her cheek again.

"…and the sun gets so warm! Chali-san, is there something on your cheek?" Finally, it kicked in to Chali that Sakura was trying to tell her that something was on her cheek. Chali felt a little embarrassed as she realised that one of her whiskers was visible protruding from her cheek. She quickly made it disappear and smiled sheepishly.

"I don't dink so. Maybe it was just your imagination." Chali chirped, trying to cover up.

"Maybe it was yet I could have sworn that I saw something on your cheek, like a whisker." Rika looked away, deep in thought.

"Cute Syaoran ask you to da dance yet?" Chali asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

"No." Sakura replied vacantly, slipping into thoughts of her Chinese warrior.

"Oh, I do hope he does." Rika exclaimed, clapping her hands, "What a cute couple you two would make!" Sakura blushed deeply; _Does everyone really think that?_

"Yes, many people do regard you as Tomoeda High School's unofficial couple…wait did I just say dat out loud?" Chali glanced over at Rika who had confusion written all over her face. _Damn me and my cursed mind reading!_

"Um, I need to go." Chali franticly dashed away from Sakura and Rika who stood with stunned expressions on their faces.

"My, she's certainly different." Rika remarked after a moment. Sakura nodded.

"You have no idea."

**c**

The school bell rang and everyone filed into the school, heading to their lockers and moving to their classes before the warning bell rang. Sakura and Rika stepped into their class and immediately saw Naoko and Ishida chatting together about the many theories of quantum physics and Tomoyo who was laughing evilly about something with Chiharu and Syaoran. Chiharu seemed to be enjoying herself with her completely deranged friend but Syaoran appeared to be downright wearied.

"Morning!" Sakura exclaimed brightly. Syaoran caught sight of her a blushed lightly. Tomoyo noticed the sudden colour to his face and continued chortling.

"Hey Rika, Sakura! Did you hear whose taking Naoko to the dance?" Chiharu squealed.

"Oh yes," Rika smiled knowingly, "We know all about it. She was explaining it to us but at the mentioning of his name, she went into daydream mode. We had to call her new heartthrob over to wake her!" Sakura and Rika laughed together.

"You know, the idea of asking someone out came from the olden days where young men would find a girl that he wanted to marry and would offer her the biggest Suama he could make-Ahhh!" Takashi came up behind the group and started to get strangled by his long time girlfriend.

"That's enough Takashi! No one wants to hear another one of your long winded tails." Chiharu growled, shaking poor Takashi by the neck. The population of the group laughed at the 'oh so familiar' sight.

"Alright class! Were about to begin so get into your seats!" Terada-sensei announced from the front of the class. Everyone reluctantly filed to their seats and waited for class to begin.

**c**

The lunch bell rang and everyone jumped from their seats and headed to their lockers. Sakura opened her lock and rummaged through the metal box cluttered with her shoes, her gym uniform, her baton and many other things.

"Hello Sakura. A beautiful day is it not?" A silky smooth and seductive voice said from behind her. She spun around and saw Ryan, smiling coyly.

"Hello Ryan. It is a beautiful day." Sakura replied, digging her lunch out of her backpack.

"Will you eat lunch with me today?" He asked, beguiling.

"Um, okay. I guess I could." Sakura smiled and the two teens walked side by side down the hall towards the doors to the courtyard.

**c**

Chiharu, Takashi, Rika, Tomoyo and Syaoran sat at a picnic table in the courtyard. Syaoran glanced around the wide expanse of yard impatiently. _Where is she?_

"You alright Syaoran-kun? You look a little unsettled." Rika mentioned quietly. Syaoran turned to her and frowned.

"No, I'm okay. I just want to know where Sakura disappeared to." Syaoran replied. Rika nodded and thought to herself for a moment.

"Now that I think of it, I think I saw her talking with that American boy in the hall." Rika said. Syaoran looked at her and a sudden fire enlighten in his eyes. He jumped up and started running towards the school.

"Where is he off to?" Tomoyo asked, lightly elbowing Rika in the arm.

"I don't know. He wanted to find Sakura and I told him that I saw her in the hall with the new American boy!" Rika replied, flustered.

Tomoyo grimaced and shook her head, _Uh oh…_

**c**

"That looks scrumptious." Ryan said, pointing to Sakura's lunch that consisted of rice, sushi and pickles. Sakura smiled happily and dived into her food. Ryan pulled a sandwich out of a plastic bag and Sakura gazed at it curiously.

"It's a ham and Swiss cheese sandwich. Would you like a bite?" Ryan asked, flashing her a glittering smile. He held the sandwich out in his hand.

"Um, okay." Sakura took the sandwich in her own hands and took a small bite. She chewed it and smiled in delight, "It's delicious!"

"They are quite good." Ryan replied, taking his sandwich back and taking a bite himself. Sakura kept on smiling.

"How long have you lived in Tomoeda?" Ryan asked in between bites.

"I've lived here all my life. It's a beautiful town." Sakura replied, "What brought you here to Tomoeda?"

"I came to live with my sick Aunt for a little while." Ryan answered.

"Oh my! Is she alright?" Sakura exclaimed with chaste concern. Ryan smiled.

"She's alright, she'll live. She just needed someone to keep her company."

"Oh, okay. That's good." Sakura replied cheerfully, digging into her food again. Ryan turned away and his lip twitched with disgust. He quickly regained his usual composure and turned back to Sakura.

"So, that dance sure is the talk of the town." Ryan mentioned sweetly.

"Yes it is. Dances here are always much looked forward to here at Tomoeda High. We don't have one very often." Sakura replied, munching on a pickle.

"Sakura, would you accompany me to the dance this Wednesday?" Ryan asked, his words covered with a sweet smelling honey. _Take the bait my sweet cherry blossom…take the bait…_

"I-I-umm…"

"No she won't because she's going with me!" A deep voice announced from behind. Sakura spun around and spotted Syaoran striding towards them at a brisk pace. Ryan's eyes stared with malevolence.

"That's unfortunate." Ryan said simply. He raised himself from the bench he and Sakura were sitting on and with a quick smile, he walked away.

"I really don't like that guy." Syaoran growled, deep in his throat.

"Oh come on Syaoran! You don't like any guy that gets close to me unless they're already taken, like Takashi!" Sakura exclaimed with irritation. Syaoran almost swallowed his tongue.

"Ah…well…um…" Syaoran stammered, tripping over his words clumsily.

"And yes, I will go to the dance with you. But next time you ask me out, don't barge in on a conversation alright?" Sakura smirked and poked him in the chest. She stood up and walked away from Syaoran and the bench he was leaning on for support. He rubbed the spot where she had poked him through his shirt; a lopsided grin plastered itself on his handsome face.

_Wow…what a girl..._

**c**

**IMPORTANT: I have a new proposition. I'm really dissapointed at the amout of reviews I am recieving. SO if I don't recieve 85+ reviews by chapter 19, its over. Did you hear that? OVER So, if you like this story, you better start telling me cause you ain't gonna much more of this story. **

**Thank you to my lovely reviewers: LiLover 131, PardiseLove, Mew Frost, Boheme, Miss.Redi, lil wolf lover and Tam-chan (cause you said so). I seriously love you guys but I still have more love to spread around if anyone else wants to review! hint hint nudge nudge.**

**I hope you people take that proposal into consideration. I will not back down from it. Thank you.**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: It Takes Two to Tango**

**Wednesday…**

Tuesday passed with little events and Wednesday came rolling in like a cold front on a beautiful day; too early for some. Sakura walked into the classroom that morning and Syaoran's face immediately went bright red, much to Tomoyo's amusement and delight.

"Ah! By the shade of Syaoran's face I can tell that Sakura has entered the room!" Tomoyo snickered quietly so that only Chiharu and Rika, who were standing by Tomoyo's desk, and Syaoran could hear. Syaoran clanked his forehead on his desk and sighed. _This shall be an adventure._ He thought sarcastically to himself.

'_What's going to be an adventure?'_ Sakura replied in his head. Syaoran's head shot up and looked upwards at Sakura who was staring down at him.

'_I'm never going to get used to this!'_ He cried in his head. He hated feeling so vulnerable, not even being able to conceal his own thoughts from the girl of his dreams.

'_Neither will I Syaoran. But as you said before, I'm sure it will come into good use one day.'_ Sakura replied smiling. Neither of them realised the strange stares they were receiving as they communicated silently.

"Um, are there some words being exchanged that we can't hear or are you two just having fun just staring at each other?" Tomoyo stated flatly. Syaoran and Sakura awoke from their daze and shook their heads hastily.

"No!" They both exclaimed in unison. They stared at each other and then turned away quickly, blushing profusely.

"Look at them," Tomoyo sighed dramatically, "Sometimes I just wish they would admit that they are madly in love with each other. But then again, all these super kawaii moments might stop!" Tomoyo paused to muse for a second, "Or increase. Who knows with these two." The redness of Sakura and Syaoran's faces stooped to an even deeper red.

"Yeah. It makes me wonder what these lovebirds would be like as a couple!" Chiharu chuckled.

"Oh come now. Don't you think we should stop before their heads explode?" Rika exclaimed, motioning towards Syaoran and Sakura. They were both ruby red in the face. Any redder and they would probably pass out.

"Okay fine. We'll just leave you two alone." Tomoyo grinned and the three girls skipped away towards Takashi who was reciting another one of his far-fetched tails.

'_I see what you meant by adventures.'_ Sakura muttered to Syaoran in her mind. Syaoran nodded and rested his forehead on his desk. He shifted his head so one of his amber eyes peered up at the pink-faced girl.

He groaned wearily, _Oh the things we endure…_

**c**

Sakura stood in her room, fumbling with her outfit in front of the mirror. She had on a dress that Tomoyo had made her specifically for the dance. It was made of a soft pink fabric that clung to her curves impeccably and ended mid thigh. It was sleeveless, being held up only by two slender spaghetti-style straps and was low cut which was essential in the design just to tease Syaoran. The most stunning feature of the dress was the embroidery going down the right side of the dress, featuring sun, moons and stars in the Clow style, all sewn in pale green thread.

"I can't believe you're going to the dance with him." Kero muttered bitterly, putting extra emphasise on 'him'.

"Oh, give Syaoran a break Kero. He's a very good friend to me." Sakura replied in Syaoran's defence.

"Friend? Ha ha yeah right! You're crazy about that stupid kid!" Kero raved indignantly, rolling his beady eyes and plunging onto Sakura's mattress. Sakura blushed and smiled. She checked herself one last time in the mirror and snatched her purse from her desk. She ran from her room and dashed down the stairs to the front door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Sakura's brother's voice rang from the kitchen.

"I'm going to the school dance!" Sakura yelled back at her brother, stepping out of the door and outside. She didn't want to be interrogated by her brother about the details like who was accompanying her.

"What!" Touya a screamed as Sakura slammed the door behind her and started to gun it away from the house. Touya ran to the kitchen window and bellowed out a warning, "If I find out you're going with the gaki I'll…" Touya's voice faded away as the distance between Sakura and her house grew. She slowed down and took the path to Penguin Park where Syaoran and her were planning on meeting.

**c**

Syaoran franticly ran around his apartment, attempting to get ready for the dance. Wei was out grocery shopping much to Syaoran's delight. He didn't want to be frazzled by his guardian as he prepared for the troublesome event. Syaoran skidded out of his bathroom with only a towel around his waist after his hasty shower and sifted through his closet.

"Not this one, definitely not, I wouldn't be caught dead in this shirt…" Syaoran grumbled to himself, throwing shirts out behind him, scattering them all over the hard wood floor, "Aha! Here's a shirt!" He pulled out a soft pale green polo shirt and stared at it approvingly. He stepped back and slipped on a shirt, sending him flying into the air and luckily landing on a pile of garments but without a towel around his waist. He jumped up and snatched the towel from the floor to cover his stark nakedness but somehow, a thought of Sakura crossed his mind. His face went bright red and he quickly re-tied the towel around his pelvis, saving all of us Syaoran fan-girls from seeing his sculpted bottom.

He yanked a pair of boxers from a drawer in his dresser and slipped them on, dropping the towel on the floor too quick of course for us all to see. He kicked the strewn shirts into a pile as he hopped around, pulling a leg through the sleeve of his jeans. He grunted incoherently and pulled his pants up and while he fastened them around his waist he scowled at himself in the mirror. _Look at my hair…_ He ruffled his dishevelled locks and quickly dropped his hand. _Since when do I care about my hair!_ Syaoran made an angry face at himself and slipped his shirt over his head. He pulled down on the hem and straightened the fabric out so it wasn't so wrinkled. He left the shirt unbuttoned a few buttons just because he was too flustered to be bothered to do them up and ran into his bathroom to brush his teeth and fuss over his unruly and untamed mane of chestnut locks.

Finally, ten minutes before he was planning to meet Sakura, he rushed out of his apartment and surged out of the building, walking quickly to Penguin Park.

**c**

"Hey Syaoran!" Sakura exclaimed, running over to her long time friend and hugging him. Syaoran's face turned beet red as he awkwardly returned the hug. He panicked in his head, making a mental note to not say any exact words in his thoughts. Sakura pulled away and smiled her gorgeous smile. She took a step back and examined Syaoran with widened eyes, _Oh my…ch-chest…_Sakura's cheeks became a little pink.

Syaoran drank in the beautiful girl in front of him thirstily. He gaped at the dress she was wearing and how it clung to her curves. Syaoran had an uncanny urge to just run his hands down her sides and kiss her but he bit away his craving and settled on staring instead.

"Shall we go?" Sakura queried sweetly. Syaoran nodded, his throat dry of words. They were still blown away from the girl he was now walking beside.

_He sure is being quiet…_Sakura thought to herself, gazing over at Syaoran from the corner of her eye. Syaoran stiffened in his stride and turned to her.

"I'm sorry. I was just speechless." Syaoran replied, pink rushing to his cheeks.

"Speechless?" Sakura angled her head with confusion.

"I'm speechless because you look so beautiful." Syaoran choked out, turning his head forwards again so he didn't have to look her in the eye. Sakura blushed lavishly and stared down at her feet, suddenly finding them rather interesting.

"Thank you." Sakura replied quietly, finding it hard to speak. The words were getting stuck to her tongue like a warm, soft toffee and her rapidly beating heart wasn't making it any easier. Such were the many minutes it took to reach the school wasted, each love-sick teenager deep in their own thoughts, too busy with themselves than to eavesdrop on their respected other's notions. It wasn't until they reached the North doors of the school that Syaoran broke the ice that had grown between them in the silence.

"After you." Syaoran opened the door and motioned for Sakura to go through. Sakura blushed at the rather gentleman-like comment and walked into the school, turning down the hall towards the gymnasium where the dance was being held. Syaoran joined her and walked by her side amongst the groups of jittery girls and boys who were waiting outside for their friends to arrive. They scooted past them as inconspicuously as they could but they couldn't help the wide-eyed stares they received as they went by.

"Hello Sakura. Hello Syaoran." Rika greeted at the door beside Terada–sensei. She was helping him collect tickets.

"Hello!" Sakura smiled warmly. Syaoran handed Rika the tickets that they had bought prior and stepped into the gymnasium.

Music throbbed through the speakers and fuelled the movements of the teenagers gyrating down on the dance-floor. Syaoran and Sakura bypassed them and headed to the tables and chairs on the other side of the room where the found Chiharu strangling Takashi, Naoko chatting, starry-eyed, with Ishida and Tomoyo who was filming everything she could, trying to catch every 'super kawaii' moment. She spotted Syaoran and Sakura right away and waved them over.

"See! I told you he had asked her!" Chiharu cooed at Takashi. Takashi sighed dramatically and pulled a few bills out of his pocket and put in Chiharu's outstretched hand. Sakura and Syaoran exchanged glances and reasoned in their minds that they wouldn't say a word.

Tomoyo had saved two seats for the couple and they sat down beside each other with blank expressions. Minutes dragged on slowly and they both watched Naoko and Ishida get up to dance time and time again or Chiharu strangle Takashi or Tomoyo chortle with Rika who had been persuaded by Terada-sensei to join the dance. Sakura and Syaoran didn't say much, too absorbed in their own thoughts to really pay attention to anything around them.

Finally Syaoran found the courage to ask Sakura to dance with him. He just had to wait until the opportune moment to ask her.

**c**

'_And da opportune moment it shall be!'_ A feline grin splashed on a young Jamaican girl's face in a crowd of teens who were getting lessons on how to bump and grind. Chali barely knew how to do it herself but she was having a ball watching the other girls make a fool out of themselves.

"Where are you going?" One girl asked, rigorously thrusting her hips towards the behind of a clueless teenage boy. Chali barely managed to restrain a giggle.

"I'm going to request a song." Chali said, disappearing into the crowd in the direction of the DJ. She went up to the DJ and asked him if he would play a song she knew was well known around the world. Chali smiled with self-pride. _It's da perfect song!_ It just happened to be the renowned Armageddon hit, 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing'.

**c**

The opening chords rung through the speakers and Syaoran knew it was now or never for him. He watched couples around him lead their partners to the floor. Building up all the courage he could muster, he raised himself from the chair and walked to the other side of Sakura.

"Dance with me?" He asked, trying to sound as best as she could despite the fact that his tongue felt as if it were made of lead.

"Sure." Sakura replied nervously, taking Syaoran's outstretched hand with hers. Syaoran let out a sigh of relief led her out into the middle of the dance-floor. He let go of her hand and copied the couples around them who were in rather suggestive positions; the girls with their hands around their partners neck and the boys with their hands on their partners waist's, though some hands were dipping dangerously low.

Sakura was first to make a move and wrapped her slender arms around Syaoran's neck. Syaoran quickly placed his hands in her hips and shifted closer, enough so he could smell the cherry blossom scented shampoo she had used to wash her golden brown tresses. It was enough to get Syaoran intoxicated with desire.

Sakura breathed in deeply and wafted in that familiar musty fresh scent that Syaoran had always carried. She closed her eyes and savoured the touch of his wide palms on her curvy hips. The skin beneath her gorgeous dress tingled with anticipation, a feeling Sakura had never felt before. Sakura inched closer so that they were barely centimetres apart and rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating wildly.

Syaoran took in a sharp intake of breath as he felt Sakura rest her head on his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to stable his neurotic heartbeat and stop the blood rushing to his face. He took a few deep breaths and steadied into the melodious movement of the slow dance as the chorus drifted in the heavy air. Though neither of them realised it, they were in their own respected paradises as they swayed as one to the love ballad.

**c**

"Oh my god, oh my god! Super kawaii!" Tomoyo exclaimed, making sure to catch every moment of Sakura and Syaoran's slow dance. Rika watched as well with a pretty smile on her face.

"They are perfect for each other." Rika whispered, "I mean look at them! They look as if they were already a couple from how comfortable they are with each other in that embrace. Plus, they're the perfect height and they're names both begin with an S! You can't get any better that that!"

"Have you ever considered being a matchmaker Rika?" Tomoyo kidded, taking her eyes off her precious camera and smiled up at her friend. Rika laughed heartily and returned her focus back to their dancing friends who were then pressing upon each other with dreamy smiles on their faces.

**c**

Chali grinned at Sakura and Syaoran contentedly and flicked her thick hair behind her shoulder. _I'm like cupid! Muah!_ She chuckled oddly to herself. She walked over and joined her friends who were now dancing peacefully with one another. She then felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"Um, will you dance with me?" A tall, slender, dark haired boy asked Chali with hopeful eyes. Chali grinned and nodded, taking a step towards him and spontaneously wrapping her arms around his neck. The dance would have continued on like that, all blissful, fluffy and happy.

There was a deep, sadistic snicker that accompanied a cultured sneer from above, "But what fun would that be?"

**c**

**OOO! That was so much fun to write. This chapter is definately my second favourite. (the first being chapter 8) Thank you for the reviews. Thank you MeowMix (ch#1), pixy7 (ch#7), Mew Frost, MexicanFighter, Miss.Redi, Tam-chan, lil wolf lover, Sayoko's Fire, Boheme and grassmonkey830. Keep reviewing. You're only at 54 reviews and you guys have 5 more chances to review and send it up to +85. **

**Happy Thanksgiving! Love and fluff, Bronte**


	15. Chapter 15 Part 1

**Chapter 15: Party Crasher - Part 1**

**At the dance…**

The music was beginning to fade from the speakers and Sakura and Syaoran were really not looking forward to parting from each other and their warm, tender embrace. But like all things do, it ended, but in a rather dramatic way. The lights flickered dangerously and Sakura gazed upwards and saw a dark shadow flit across the ceiling. Syaoran noticed it too and pulled Sakura closer to his body.

The lights went out and the whole gymnasium was plunged into darkness. A crash of thunder boomed from the outside sky. Through the speakers, that should not have been working, a maniacal laughter sounded, raising the hairs on the back of Sakura's neck.

"It's him." Sakura whispered, still in Syaoran's tight embrace. He grunted in response and gazed around in the darkness amid the screaming girls who were clinging to whatever they could so they wouldn't be lost.

"Come on. We have to act fast. By the sound of that thunder, I'd say he's using a thunder storm this time." Syaoran whispered huskily, his lips by Sakura's ear. She froze and closed her eyes, a wave of desire coming over her. He nestled his cheek against her soft locks of golden hair. She felt her knees weaken.

"Let's go." Syaoran reluctantly pulled himself away from their embrace and he held her around the waist with one hand and grabbed her farthest hand with his other. They travelled blindly towards the entrance they had come in, attempting to find a wall and then go to the exit from there.

Sakura clung to Syaoran until her knuckles went white. Though it was pitch black in there, she could feel the magician's eyes burning holes into her back. She was frightened out of her mind. _What if he's a ghost?_

"It's not a ghost." Syaoran said sharply. He felt her shudder in his arms and he softened his tone, "I promise you he's not a ghost."

"O-okay." Sakura replied shakily, _Sometimes I feel so intimidated by Syaoran._

"Am I really that intimidating?" Syaoran queried, his tone slightly mocking. Sakura scowled.

"Yes! And stop listening to my thoughts!" Sakura exclaimed with defeat. They finally reached a wall and began to inch their way to the exit.

"I'm sorry! But they're right out there to listen to!" Syaoran replied in a joking defence. He pushed a couple out of the way without much effort and continued trudging along.

"Syaoran!" Sakura sighed and pouted, "It's so hard to stay mad at you." She mumbled. Syaoran chuckled deep in his throat. They reached the exit and burst through the doors. They let go of each other and just held each other's hand to keep from getting separated. They gunned it down the corridor and emerged outside. Static was in the air from all the electricity in the clouds, causing Sakura's and Syaoran's hair to stand upwards in comical ways. In a flash of lightning they caught a glimpse of each other's hair and smiled. It was quite a sight.

There was a deafening crash of thunder and Sakura jumped two feet into the air and landed in Syaoran's arms. Lightning shot down from the sky and struck a tree out in the yard. Sakura was way too startled to feel embarrassed; Syaoran was too surprised at the beautiful girl in his arms to even notice the tree tumbling to the ground and crashing into an empty vehicle. The car alarm screamed for a moment before it was drowned out by a crash of thunder that shook the foundations beneath Syaoran's feet.

Syaoran put Sakura down and released his sword promptly. He pulled out an ofuda from his pocket and called upon the element of water to douse the flames that danced on the fallen tree.

"Syaoran! We shouldn't perform our magic here!" Sakura exclaimed, motioning all around her. Syaoran turned to her with a grim expression.

"If we don't act fast, there may not be any people left to see us. Come on." Syaoran grabbed the stricken Sakura's hand and they started to run across the yard and onto the empty street. Lightning struck here and there as they sped down the street, singeing trees and scorching anything else in its path. Sakura released her staff and pulled out the Jump Card. She struck the card and little wings sprouted on both Syaoran's and Sakura's feet. They jumped up an apartment building, balcony to balcony and they finally reached the top. Lightning struck the antenna on the top of the building with so much force that the piece of metal buckled over and became a melted heap in the shadow of where it had once stood.

Sakura ran over to the edge of the building in an attempt to dodge the bolt a spotted a middle-aged man walking down the street with his eyes wide and mouth agape. In less than a second, a stroke of lightning struck the man, dead in his tracks. Sakura tried to voice a warning but it was already too late. The man was obliterated into a smoking pile of charred dust upon the sidewalk.

"No!" Sakura screamed, almost falling off the edge but Syaoran caught her in time. Tears welled in Sakura's eyes and she buried her face in Syaoran's chest. Syaoran had viewed the grotesque spectacle as well and fought to keep his own composure, biting down the bile in his throat.

"Shhh…" Syaoran whispered, running his fingers through her wild hair. She continued sobbing into his shirt, her body shuddering continuously in his arms, "It's alright. We have to stop this guy before he gets anyone else." Sakura slowly calmed her breathing and Syaoran stepped away and bent to Sakura's level. His face was only inches away from hers and he felt the urge to kiss her and confess his feelings to her but he bit away the temptation.

Sakura closed her eyes and blinked away the tears. A glowing determination boiled inside of her and she opened her eyes and stared into the amber orbs that were gazing into her eyes.

"I can do this." Sakura said, her voice crisp in the humid air. Syaoran smiled and squeezed her hand.

"We'll do it together." Sakura nodded and they jumped of the building and onto the next, hand in hand.

**c**

"God damnit! Would you just die?" Orion moaned, glowering at Syaoran far in the distance while conducting his vicious storm. He spotted another pedestrian walking along and he directed a bolt of lightning at it just to let out a bit of his rage, "Why, oh why do you have to tamper with my plans?" The cloud above Orion swirled, feeding on the magician's fury. Orion cast the threatening cloud in Syaoran's general direction and smirked, "You moronic little boy. You won't get away this time."

**c**

A dank and sodden wind chilled the very souls of the two teenagers with a sinking feeling that something terrible was going to happen. A grumbling boom of thunder rolled from the clouds above, especially one in particular, moving with unnatural speed. Syaoran was the first to notice the cloud and tried to veer away but it seemed to follow him despite his attempts.

"Is it just me or is that cloud following us?" Syaoran spoke softly. Sakura looked back and watched a blot of lightning crackle among its deceptive fluffy lumps. Sakura shrugged and they kept hopping from building to building. A growing paranoia was eating at Syaoran like a leech.

"Are you sure you don't think it's following us?" Syaoran asked, staring back at the cloud with suspicion.

"Syaoran! Stop being so-" As if it wanted to answer, the cloud rushed over to the two teens and began spurting streams of electricity, raining down everywhere. Syaoran and Sakura dived onto each other as close as they could and Sakura pulled out The Shield.

"Block the lightning!" She struck the card and an armour encased them with an almost invisible sphere. They started running, Sakura much slower than Syaoran who was concentrating her energy to the defence of the shield as the strikes came crashing down.

"Do something!" Sakura wailed, stopping at the brink of a building, her eyes half closed with great engrossment. Syaoran pulled out his sword and chanted a little spell in Cantonese.

"In contract I bind you, in blood that flows through the veins of I. I call upon the gods of the elements, lend me your forces to do of my will. Release!" A complex circle appeared beneath Syaoran's feet and a colossal gust blew from the ground. Sakura didn't understand a word of Syaoran's spell and just watched with widened eyes as her beau performed some crazy magical stunt.

Syaoran spun his sword in his hands, from one hand to the other, slowly at first and then building up speed until the sheer metal was barely visible. An small grin played on his lips.

"I call upon the element of wind!" A powerful burst of wind came from Syaoran's rotating jian. It shot at the clouds and pushed them away with difficulty. The clouds were beginning to shape themselves against the wind, getting a rather negative response from Syaoran. He muttered something else in Cantonese and the wind looked as if it was solidifying and it cupped the clouds. With a little extra push granted by Windy, the clouds were beginning to give way and some of the lesser clouds were disappearing. Farther in the distance, malevolent curses could be heard.

"You won't win that easy." Orion growled between his gritted teeth. He raised his arms in the air and brought them down swiftly, sending a violent thump that was so strong you could even see the air ripple from the powerful wave.

**c**

"What the hell was that?" Sakura exclaimed, both her and Syaoran thrown forwards by the undulation of power that had pummelled them to the ground a moment ago.

"I don't know." Syaoran replied, gazing up at the clouds, watching them suck the power from the mighty wave up like some sort of delicious drink. They grew four times their original size, looming over the two fallen teenagers.

"What now?" Sakura squeaked, clutching Syaoran's hand tightly. Syaoran didn't have anything to say. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath.

"Unless you have an idea, I'd say were out of luck."

**c**

**Oh boy. You guys are lucky. Really lucky. You know why? Because random SxS fan just saved your asses and bumped my review counter up to 77. I'd have to say that when I opened my inbox, my eyes just about popped out of my head when I saw all the emails from fanfiction. I'm pretty sure that this chapter and it's second part (coming real soon) is dedicated to random SxS fan. **

**Thanks also to Sayoko's fire, ChibiUbba, Asmi LOVER, Mew Frost, lil wolf lover, Boheme, Kasumi Hikaru, Dreamer516 and Chaoticscythe for your reviews. I am uber-excited to see some new names reviewing my story. **

**Love and fluff, Bronte!**


	16. Chapter 15 Part 2

**Chapter 15: Party Crasher - Part 2**

**So it continues…**

The high school was still in frenzy. Teachers were running everywhere to the office and classrooms in search of some kind of light while students squealed, moaned and cried. It was after about 10 minutes of that that they finally got their act together and brought the student body to attention at the front of the stage.

"There has been a power outage due to a horrible thunderstorm." A teacher yelled overtop of the noise students were making.

"Yeah? Well what about that crazy laughing that came from the powerless speakers?" A student exclaimed from the crowd. There was an outburst of agreements and approvals from the crowd.

"I-uh, we have yet to figure out what caused that uncanny malfunction." The teacher replied looking rather uncomfortable as he tugged nervously at his tie. Just then, an erratic looking Chali ran up onto the stage.

"Has anyone seen Syaoran Li or Sakura Kinomoto? I can't find dem!" She exclaimed, her eyes scanning over the crowd. Flashlights were pointing everywhere and lighters and cell-phones lightened some of the gloom. She didn't spot them in the crowd.

"Oh my god!" Someone squealed from the audience. A young girl waved her arms wildly at the back of the crowd, "They were heading for the exit! Li Syaoran shoved Tehuriko and I out of the way and they ran out of the gymnasium!" Chali found Tomoyo in the crowd and they exchanged very worried glances. She hopped off the stage and ran over to Tomoyo.

"Come on. We have to find dem and try to help dem. Start running." Both Chali and Tomoyo started for the door and rushed through it. They skidded along the corridor and Tomoyo watched with wonder as Chali transformed from human into a cat. In the dim illume of the emergency lights, Chalandra's eyes glowed with determination.

"What are you?" Tomoyo breathed as the emerged outside and started running down the street. Lightning was raining down everywhere, making scorch marks on the pavement and setting trees on fire.

"I am half-human, half-feline." Chalandra replied, sensing the hesitance in Tomoyo's mind, "I came here to help Syaoran and Sakura during their times of need. So far tonight, I have failed them."

The weight of Chalandra's words dropped on Tomoyo's shoulders like a sack of earth.

"What do you mean?" She whispered.

"If we do not get dere in time, dey may be beyond my reach." Chalandra replied. She took a sharp turn into an alley and almost lost Tomoyo.

"Out of you reach? Chali, you're speaking in riddles!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"Isn't it obvious? Dis magician is very powerful. He could kill dem!" Chalandra hissed, bounding onto a bench and then up onto a balcony, "Meet me on da roof of dis building." Chalandra bounded from balcony to balcony up to the top.

Tomoyo's eyes darted around quickly and she finally found an entrance to the building. She dashed to the stairwell and ran up the flight of stairs, one after another. She stopped on level 10 to catch her breath. Then, she started up again, breathing heavily as she clambered up the steep stairs.

Finally she reached the roof level and darted around, looking for the door to the roof. She found it and rushed through it, the thick humid air getting caught in her lungs. She could see Chalandra in the distance hopping away across the roofs of buildings. She was hopping in the direction of a big, black cloud, spurting lightning in every direction. Tomoyo turned on her camera and zoomed as far as it could go in the direction of the massive cloud. She saw two silhouettes side by side, facing the dark cloud.

Tomoyo swallowed painfully and sighed defiantly. She realised the painful reality that there was nothing she could do but watch.

**c**

Chalandra was going at a high rate of speed towards where she knew Syaoran and Sakura were, hopping from roof to roof. Her fur rippled against the humid air; a silver sheen coated her soft fur. She was a shadow in the night and if you were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of her, the next moment she would be gone.

She stopped two buildings away and stared at the two teens sprawled on the ground, rolling this way and that trying to dodge the lightning as they attempted to get up. Syaoran was the first to jump to his feet and jerk Sakura off the ground just as a bolt crashed down where she had been less than a moment ago. Sensing that she needed to act fast, Chalandra pulled out a compass wrought of gold from a little pouch on her waist. She flipped open it's tarnished top and stared down at it.

The face of the compass was a complex 3-D sphere of spinning dials, churning spirals and darting arrows. She muttered something to the compass and immediately it froze. Slowly it changed its face, stirring like a whirlpool. Finally, at the end of its demented transformation, an arrow pointed up through the face of the dial like a ghost.

"Up?" Chalandra said quietly, traces of confusion all over her cat-like features. She thought about it for a moment before it kicked in, "Up and above! Get da storm from its weakest point!" She grinned and put the compass back into her pouch and pulled out a little bag made of dried leaves. She opened the drawstring and poured a little of its contents into her palm. A golden matte powder streamed into a pretty pile and Chalandra closed the bag again and shoved it into her pouch. She whispered a few words to it and blew softly. The dust drifted away from Chalandra and floated on an invisible gust of wind. It wafted over to Syaoran and Sakura like a spectral illusion.

"What is that?" Sakura breathed, dodging another bolt of lightning while staring that the gleaming dust that was churning in front of her and Syaoran. It began to morph into some sort of image, swirling and twisting. It turned into a set of English characters in a bold and ragged font.

"Up and above it to destroy it." Syaoran read without difficulty. He stepped to the side to avoid a stroke of lightning and stared up at the sky, "We have to get above the storm. There it is the weakest." Sakura nodded and pulled out the only card that could get them there.

"Grant us the wings to fly!" Sakura struck the Fly Card and immediately wings sprouted of Sakura's back. Without any difficulty, she jumped backwards and floated into the sky. Syaoran was a different story.

Syaoran felt the wings appear on his back and he stumbled backwards and off of the building. Halfway down, he managed to collect himself and he floated upwards, acting as if it had never happened. Sakura was giggling uncontrollably.

"Too bad Tomoyo wasn't here to get that on tape!" She laughed, swerving a bolt. Syaoran blushed a little bit and turned his head away. Little did she know.

Syaoran quickly got back his composure and flew up to Sakura. She pulled out the Shield Card and released it. She snatched Syaoran's hand and they began to fly upwards. Pressure grew as they shot above, making flying a whole lot more of a chore. The humid air grew heavier as the reached the surface of the cloud. With a combined burst of force and energy, they tore into the cloud. The air was so frigid and was coming so quick at the two of them that their bare skin went rosy and numb. The tears of pain and determination streamed from Sakura's eyes but froze on her face and chipped away at their rate of speed. After what seemed like agonising eternity, they exploded out of the other side of the cloud and stopped, breathing heavily. Underneath them, the cloud was sputtering and shooting lightning across its surface.

"You ready?" Syaoran asked, regaining his breath and gazing sidelong at Sakura. He squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"I think so." Sakura replied, letting go of his hand and gripping her staff. She closed her eyes and basked in the starlight that came from the skies above that wasn't tainted by the magician's evil. Her eyes flashed open and she began her spell.

"Mysterious force I bring you to thy end! Defuse your magic and disintegrate!" Light burst from Sakura's staff in a wide beam and plunged into the cloud, eating it from the inside out. It cloud began to fade and the Tomoeda was soon visible from below. As Sakura's beam of light began to weaken, Syaoran came to her aid and reached out for her aura intertwining his with hers. He hovered behind her and held her steady. The power from the almost full moon was feeding him strength and when it reached Sakura she breathed it in and arched her back with pleasure.

The cloud dissipated and the last curls of cloud disappeared. Sakura swung back her head after completing the painstaking job. It landed on Syaoran's shoulder, who was poised behind her with his hands on her hips.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked, his tone of voice laced with concern. Sakura opened her drooping eyelids and her emerald eyes glittered with longing and passion.

"I've been better, but you're making it a whole lot easier." She whispered, her voice as soft as a feather. Syaoran drank it in with haste and gazed down at the beautiful girl leaning against him. The wings on her back were the only things that stopped them from being pressed together.

"Are you alright? Get down here you moronic lovebirds before I have to get you down myself!" Chalandra bellowed from the building below. They both shook out of their reverie and floated downwards and onto the roof.

"Did you send that message Chali?" Sakura asked, the wings disappearing off of her and Syaoran's back.

"I might have." Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight mischievously, "What happened up dere? Did you see who da magician is?"

"No." Syaoran spat as if he had a bad taste in him mouth. Chali nodded solemnly and shrugged.

"We better get back to da dance. People were wondering about you." Chali said. Sakura's eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

"The dance! I had totally forgotten!"

**c**

**Bwahaha. How did you like the conclusion to this chapter? Make sure you tell me. **

**Thanks to Chaoticscythe, Zecios the Great (that was probably the most flattering review I have ever recieved. Thank you so much!), Kasumi Hikaru, Sayoko's-fire (I did read you story but had no time to review it. It's alright and keep it going), Mew Frost, LAUZ (I hope this answers you question), Tam-chan, lil wolf lover and Boheme (thank you for reviewing every single chapter. I always look forward to recieving your review.)**

**Special mention of Yami Umi for bumping up my reviews. This half of the chapter is dedicated to you.**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Reminisce **

**The day after…Thursday**

Syaoran woke up with a wicked backache. He rubbed where the wings from the Fly had been tenderly. _Geez, does Sakura feel this every time she uses that card?_ He thought to himself. He walked out of his room and almost ran into Wei who was coming out of the washroom.

"Good morning Syaoran-sama. Hard night last night?" Wei asked, walking into the kitchen and beginning to prepare breakfast.

"Yeah. That stupid magician attacked again. He's really getting on my nerves." Syaoran replied, slumping into his chair at the kitchen table. His hair was wild and boisterous, shooting up all over the place. He ran his fingers through his hair but they got stuck in tangles halfway. He sighed and pulled them out, instead frowning and leaning his cheek on his hand.

"You better get ready for school. The teachers will probably wonder where you were last night." Wei said. Syaoran grumbled and walked into his washroom. He turned on his shower and stared into the mirror on the bathroom wall. _I look like a freaking train wreck._ He scowled, stripped down and stepped into the shower.

Every muscle in his sculpted body tensed as the cold water ran over his tanned skin but he welcomed the awakening sensation that dawned on him. As he massaged fragrant shampoo into his messy locks, he reminisced on the events of the night prior.

****

_Chalandra, Sakura and Syaoran rushed from building top to building top. Syaoran was relying on his own jumping skills to get him there instead of using the Jump Card. It was proving to be a tiresome task. _

"_Is that Tomoyo over there?" Sakura queried, glancing over at Chalandra. She hissed an affirmative and continued on. Tomoyo was waving over at the three of them with a smile on her face. When they finally reached her, she let out a sigh of relief._

"_I'm so glad you're all in one piece." Tomoyo grinned, embracing Sakura. Her dress was a little torn and dirty but it still looked decent. Syaoran had a large stain on his shirt, "Ah! I have a cure for that!" Tomoyo pulled out a Tide-To-Go from her purse and rubbed the stain away. Syaoran stared sceptically at Tomoyo and what she was rubbing on his shirt._

"_What is dat?" Chalandra asked, grooming her arm with her tongue casually, as if it was something she would do everyday and just expect everyone to blow it off as normal. Sakura eyed her with an equivocal expression._

"_It's an American thing my mother brought back when she was in America a few weeks ago. A client had let her use it when she spilled coffee on her pants right before she was about to make a public speech and she was so happy with it that she stocked up on it. Isn't it wonderful?" Tomoyo raved, putting the cap back on the little stick and dropping it back in her purse. Syaoran stared down at where the stain was and found it had disappeared. He shrugged and smoothed his shirt back down. _

"_We should get back to the gymnasium. I'm sure people are worried." Tomoyo remarked. Sakura nodded and all four of them walked over to the brink of the building. Syaoran and Chalandra went first, scaling down the building balcony by balcony until the reached the fire ladder and climbed down from there. Sakura grabbed Tomoyo and she jumped off, the extra weight making her fall a little faster. She hit the ground painfully and let Tomoyo out of her grasp._

"_Sakura! Are you alright?" Syaoran exclaimed, running over to her. Chalandra padded right behind him._

"_Yeah. I'm fine." Sakura replied with a grimace, rubbing her ankle. She took a step but quickly rebounded off that foot, squeaking in pain. Syaoran frowned and ran his fingers through his hair._

"_I'll carry you." He offered, offering his hands. Sakura thanked him graciously and Syaoran wrapped one arm around her back and one underneath her knees. He hoisted her upwards and mused about how light she was. _

_The four of them walked briskly towards the school, trying to ignore the gruesome sight around them. Trees were scorched into ash all around them and the smell of char was floating in the air. The smell of burnt flesh was the most grotesque of all, making all of them nauseous. In their way, they passed by the spot where Sakura and Syaoran witnessed the death of a man and found, in his place, a pile of incinerated flesh and blackened bones. Bile threatened to rise in Syaoran's throat. _

"_Do-do you think we could just go home?" Sakura asked weakly after passing the hideous sight. Syaoran nodded in approval and Chali parted ways with Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo. They continued walking down the street in a strained silence._

"Syaoran! Hurry up!" Wei exclaimed from the other side of the bathroom door. Syaoran finished soaping himself, rinsed and stepped out of the shower. He dried off her wonderfully toned body and stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He sauntered into his room and dropped the towel so it pooled around his feet.

If physical perfection were feasible, it would have been him that made it possible. His sculpted arms were built flawlessly, curved and bulging. His shoulders were broad and strong and his chest was most magnificent, exquisitely luscious for the eyes, like honey for the tongue. He had washboard abs, courtesy of the training he did. We've already covered his sculpted ass in a previous chapter and this story is rated teen so I can't go into detail about his lovely nether-region. So, I'll leave you to your bubbling imaginations.

Syaoran snatched some undergarments and his uniform trousers and shirt. He brushed his hair and shook it a little to rid some of the access water from his strands. He walked into the kitchen and sat down to his breakfast, granted by Wei. He was excellent at making breakfast. Syaoran was much the opposite. He could whip up an award worthy gourmet dinner in a half an hour but his breakfast making skills weren't worth a flying dime.

He sliced a fried egg with his knife and savoured the tender piece of flesh in his mouth. It wasn't often that Wei made a Western style breakfast but Syaoran always enjoyed the variations.

****

"_How's your ankle doing?" Syaoran asked in the barely lit gloom of the street. Tomoyo was glad that he broke the silence that was eating at her being._

"_It's alright," Sakura replied, staring up into his eyes with a pained expression, "Are you sure I'm not too heavy?"_

"_Heavy?" Syaoran chuckled, deep in his throat. Sakura was afraid she might turn into jelly and slip out of his arms, "You are very light. My arms have yet to tire." _

"_Well if I had biceps like those, my arms wouldn't get tired either!" Sakura exclaimed. Tomoyo snorted and began chortling insanely to herself. Syaoran just smiled and thought about how wonderful the girl in his arms was, to lighten up a mood so damaged and sombre that it seemed there was no turning back. _

"Wake up Syaoran." Wei waved his hand in front of Syaoran's vacant eyes. He snapped to attention and gazed over at a clock.

"I have to get to school!" Syaoran cried, shovelling the rest of his breakfast into his mouth. He grabbed his school bag that he had placed at the door and skidded out of his apartment and into the hall. He thundered downstairs and outside and he unlocked his bike and jumped on. He pedalled out into the road and zoomed down the street.

__

_The three of them walked to Sakura's house and stood by the hedge in front of her home._

"_I'll drop you off on your step." Syaoran said quietly, "Use the Mend Card on yourself when you've restored some of your power after a good night's rest." Sakura nodded in his arms and he quietly tip-toed up to her door and set her down gently onto the ground. _

"_Thank you Syaoran." Sakura whispered, kissing his softly on the cheek. He smiled and bid her goodnight and walked back down her driveway. A goofy grin played on his handsome features._

_Sakura waited until Syaoran was out of sight before she limped into her house. Syaoran watched her disappear into home and turned around and faced Tomoyo. She had her camera pulled out of course and turned off the record button. _

"Hey Syaoran! Heads up!" Takashi kicked a ball his way as he got off his bike and locked it into the bike racks. He kicked it back to him and Takashi caught it, barely.

"Hey. Soccer practice?" Syaoran asked, striding up to Takashi. Takashi bounced the ball on his knee.

"Nah. Just playing a little game. You should come and join up one day." Takashi replied. Someone called his name from behind his and he spotted Chiharu, "Duty calls!" He grinned and ran over to his long time girlfriend.

****

"_Ah! You two are too cute. This is wonderful, absolutely wonderful. I'll have just enough footage soon." Tomoyo raved, putting her camcorder back into her bag. _

"_Just enough footage for what?" Syaoran asked fearfully. They started walking down the street again._

"_Just enough footage for my speech at your wedding!" Tomoyo squealed, clasping her hands by her cheek. _

"_WHAT?!" Syaoran gaped, stopping dead in the street, staring wildly at the disturbed woman. She smirked mysteriously, a scheming glint in her amethyst eyes._

"_You'll see, you'll see." Tomoyo replied, continuing to walk down the street. Syaoran just stared at her receding figure before snapping to it and running after her._

"_What do you mean 'I'll see'?" Syaoran snapped, staring incredulously. _

"_Just wait Syaoran, just wait." Tomoyo chuckled inwardly and walked away._

"Hello cute Syaoran." A silky, accented voice aroused him from his thoughts. He spun around and saw Chali grinning up at him, "Is Sakura alright?"

"The last time I saw her was last night." Syaoran replied, his tone of voice laced with anxiety and worry.

"Why don't you use your telepady?" She asked, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"How do you know about that? Wait, don't tell me, I don't want to know." Syaoran muttered, shaking his head and sighing. He closed his eyes and reached his aura out into the open, searching for the familiar pink aura, full of bliss and purity. He found it not too far away but it was racked with stress and tension. He intertwined his aura's with hers and he immediately felt it soften and relax.

'_Sakura?'_ He called out in his mind. Her aura stiffened slightly.

'_Syaoran? Is that you?'_ A voice replied in his mind. Syaoran sighed and loosened.

'_How are you? Are you alright?'_ Syaoran asked.

'_My ankle is still hurting. I tried to heal it but I was too tired to do much.' _

'_Where are you?' _Syaoran's tone turned to urgency.

'_Limping to school.'_ Syaoran felt her groan and sensed the pain she was experiencing.

'Do you have enough energy to release the Time Card?' 

'_I might. Give me a moment and I'll duck into someone's bush.'_ The world suddenly froze around him and the shock of time tugged at his essence. He drew a deep breath and started to run down the street.

'_Are you alright?'_ Syaoran shouted in his mind. Her aura was shuddering.

'_I can't hold it for long. Hurry. I'm on the corner by the little grocery store.'_ Syaoran dashed down the street at top speed and skidded around the corner. He could see the little store Sakura spoke of in the distance and upped his pace slightly. He stopped at the corner and slipped in between the frozen cars. He spotted Sakura's bag by a bush and pushed back it's budding foliage.

"Sakura!" Syaoran exclaimed, kneeling by Sakura who was looking deathly pale.

"He's coming…" Sakura whispered, her eyes vacant. Syaoran grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Sakura! Wake yourself up!" He yelled, peeling his eyes from her blanched face and catching a glimpse of a black figure disappearing in a tree farther away. Syaoran pulled out his sword and sent a bolt of electricity up the tree. He heard a quick shriek that echoed in the eerie silence of the frozen world. There was a thump as the figure fell from the tree in a mass of a figure in a black cape. Syaoran jumped up and watched him smash to the ground. The figure stumbled to its feet and cast Syaoran a poisonous glance, letting Syaoran catch a glimpse of his frigid, icy blue eyes. They were so bewitching that Syaoran lingered for a little too long and before he had another chance to attack, the magician transformed into a sparrow and flew away in a heartbeat.

Syaoran spun around and saw Sakura sprawled onto the ground, barely awake. The Time Card's spell was beginning to weaken as its grip on the world loosened and flickered. Syaoran leant his power's to sustain it and pulled Sakura to a sitting position.

"Wake up Sakura. Are you alright?" His face was very close to hers. Her eyes flickered open and they expressed extreme surprise but it didn't reflect onto her pale face.

"Come on Sakura, what the hell happened?" Syaoran exclaimed with complete concern. Sakura was slowly regaining movement in her body and her arm began shaking compulsively as it tried to reach up to him. Syaoran grabbed her hand and held it in his.

'_I re-released the Card and-and he took over my-my b-body. I w-was numb. I-I couldn't stop him!'_ Sakura started sobbing and Syaoran pulled her into an embrace, cradling her head in his hands and burying his fingers in her hair. He felt as if he was being ripped apart from the inside, watching Sakura go through such agony. He nestled his face in her hair and breathed in her glorious scent. Her legs started twitching and with great effort she pulled the one underneath her and left her swollen ankle outstretched.

Almost silently, Syaoran whispered a calming spell in his native tongue and he saw the results immediately. Sakura's breathing levelled and she closed her eyes. Syaoran released her out of his embrace and she sat up by herself, quivering slightly. He took a deep breath and slipped off the shoe she had shoved on her swollen ankle and brushed his warm fingers across the ghastly bruise. He whispered something and expressed a short series of symbols with his hands overtop of her ankle. Immediately he could see the results; the bruise receding and the joint looking a little more in place. Sakura's eyes opened and she stared at the boy at her feet, working some extremely complicated spell by the look on his face, contorted into a concentrating grimace. If only she could reach out and kiss him but there was no energy in her body to do anything but stare.

Syaoran finished trying to heal Sakura's ankle. He muttered to himself how much easier it would have been if he could have just used the Mend Card, which was of course impossible. He knew it still wasn't healed totally and she'd have a ball of a time walking on it for the next few days but he did the best he could do while he supported the Time Card as well.

"Th- thank you." Sakura whispered, her voice raspy and scratchy like course sandpaper. Syaoran reached up to Sakura's face and rubbed away a few stray tears with his thumb. She closed her eyes and moved her face closer into his hand. Syaoran got to his knees while still caressing her tranquil face and reached for her hands. He grabbed them and clasped them around his neck. He stood up and brought Sakura with him, supporting her by his neck. He set her down lightly on her good foot and Sakura buried her face in Syaoran's chest.

_'I've never felt anything so horrible, like my soul was sucked right out of my body, leaving me empty. It was like having a cave in your body, all vacant and damp. I- I don't ever want to fell like that again!'_ Sakura moaned in her head, shuddering into Syaoran's body. He was sustaining the Time Card mostly now, all the power being pushed mostly onto him. His body was tiring slowly but he just continued holding her close until she finished her emotional breakdown. Syaoran was panicking inside, trying to think of what to say and what the hell they were going to do when he couldn't sustain the Time Card any longer. 

"It's alright. It's over now." Syaoran whispered back, feeling awfully weak. Her sobs were subsiding and after a minute of two, her head emerged from being buried in his chest and her teary orbs of liquid emerald gazed up into his eyes, "Better?"

"I-I think so." She whispered, her voice quivering. Syaoran smiled and wiped a tear from under her eye. She didn't break her gaze, "I think I can take over now." She meant the Time Card of course and he relinquished his hold on Time slowly to Sakura. She took it with a strong grip and pulled out the Mirror Card.

"Make duplicates of Syaoran and I and cover for us at school!" She struck the Card and two beings appeared before her. A Syaoran and a Sakura smiled and bowed to their master. The Syaoran gave a nod at Syaoran before turning his attention back to his Mistress.

"What do you want us to do after school?" The Sakura asked, her voice identical to the real Sakura's.

"Go home and complete the regular routine that I would do. I'll release you later on tonight." Sakura replied, her eyelids drooping.

"Oo!" The Sakura exclaimed raising her hand, "So we can do whatever we want right?" The Sakura got a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Like this?" She grabbed the Syaoran by the tie and brought her lips to his and they began to kiss passionately but only for a moment. Both Syaoran and Sakura gaped at them.

"Gak! No! Just act like a normal teenager for god's sake!" Sakura shouted wildly.

"But that's what teens do! Oh come on, you know I'm just teasing you!" The Sakura laughed oddly, not in Sakura's voice. The Syaoran beside her chuckled.

"Go!" Sakura shrieked, feeling overwhelmed. They disappeared into thin air and Sakura released Time. She fell into Syaoran's arms after the great magical burden was taken from her shoulders and she breathed in deeply.

"The day hasn't started out very good for you." Syaoran jested, staring down at Sakura. She angled her head upwards and stared up at him.

"No it hasn't." Sakura replied, exhaling deeply. She pulled herself off of him and poised herself off of her bad foot, "We need to go somewhere. I can't go to school today and neither can you." She stated.

"Well I could have but if you insist." Syaoran smiled with little humour, "Wei is gone until 7:00 tonight at a judo conference with one of his good friends here in Japan. We can go to my apartment." Sakura nodded and they were about to exit the enclosed bush.

"Wait." Syaoran muttered a spell and a slightly foggy blanket materialised around them, "It's a cloaking spell. Only people who are really looking can see us." Sakura nodded and she started limping with much more luck beside Syaoran who continuously offered his assistance to her. She kept refusing but as they neared his home and when she had to climb up a few piles of stairs, he lifted her up so she didn't hurt herself further.

They entered his apartment after finding it empty and Sakura collapsed onto Syaoran's couch in the main living room.

"Want anything?" Syaoran asked, standing in front of her in the direction of his kitchen.

"A glass of water please." Sakura whispered, finding her voice rather weak. Syaoran disappeared into the kitchen and when he came back, he found Sakura sleeping soundlessly on his couch.

**c**

**Come on guys! I got a total of 255 hits and 19 reviews in total for part 1 and 2 of chapter 15. That's 236 hitters that didn't review. It's not that I'm expecting everyone to review but come on. Those numbers tell me that 13.42 percent of my readers actually review. I'm pretty dissapointed in my non reviewing readers. No one likes to be hated so non reviewers, just review! OKAY! **

**I'm too busy to mention my reviewers but you wonderful guys no who you are. (nasty glances at non reviewers) I'm trying to type this, study for a massive test AND get ready for a date. **

**Fluff and stuff, Bronte**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The Chapter That Lacks A Name** (haha I know. Writer's block)

**Still Thursday...**

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Syaoran and Sakura are not what they seem today." Tomoyo whispered during lunch to Chali who was staring at them with keen interest. They were chatting about something or other. They weren't blushing as they spoke which Tomoyo found to be very suspicious.

"I have a feeling dat's not dem were seeing. It's da Mirror Card or maybe da Illusion." Chali replied, filing her claws under the table so no one could see.

"Why aren't they here? Do you know what happened?" Tomoyo asked, sounding concerned.

"I sensed dat Syaoran was really worried about her dis morning and I told him to use their telepady." Chali explained, trying to file her thumb.

"Telepathy?" Tomoyo queried, not really understanding what Chali had said.

"Yeah. You don't know about it?" Chali asked, figuring that she didn't because of the surpassing look of confusion painted on her Tomoyo's face.

"No! When did this happen?" Tomoyo exclaimed wildly.

"A while ago. Dey were arguing about someding and dey kept hearing each oders in dere heads. I wonder why Sakura didn't tell you?"

"Well she better have a good excuse." Tomoyo replied with an annoyed tone of voice. She frowned and brushed her silky hair behind her shoulder. _I wonder why she didn't tell me? She probably has a good explanation though I can't really think of one myself. Who am I kidding?_ Tomoyo shrugged and shook her head.

Lunch was just about over when Chali and Tomoyo confronted Sakura and Syaoran alone. They basically cornered them in the yard to question them.

"Where are da real Sakura and Syaoran?" Chali demanded. The Mirror card put on its best innocent face.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, though her tone was slightly shallow.

"Oh, you know very well what were talking about. Were worried about Sakura and Syaoran and we want to know where they are!" Tomoyo raved. Syaoran and Sakura looked at each other and sighed.

"Alright, you caught me," A different voice said from Sakura's mouth, "They're fine. They just had a scare this morning and now they're just resting."

"A scare?" Tomoyo asked fearfully.

"That magician attacked again, only getting at Sakura's mind, taking it over for a moment before Syaoran blasted him out of a tree. He's such a darling." The Syaoran said in Mirror's voice. Chali and Tomoyo giggled.

"Dat sounded so funny. Do it again." Chali was keeled over with uncontrollable snickers. Tomoyo was chortling as well. Syaoran and Sakura just shrugged.

"Where are they now?" Tomoyo wheezed, still trying to recover from her fit of laughter.

"They're at Syaoran's apartment right now." Mirror replied out of Sakura's mouth.

"I shall go visit them then," Tomoyo announced loudly, "I have a spare during 4th period. I'll go then."

"I'll come wid you!" Chali explained playing with her thick dreads. They dangled loosely around her face but a few were held back by bobby pins. Tomoyo nodded happily and the school bell rang. The two teens and the disguised Sakura Card headed inside the school and braced themselves for another bout of high school.

**c**

"Hurry up!" Tomoyo hissed to Chali as she grabbed her school bag from her locker. They sneaked out of the school via the back entrance so they weren't caught by any of the school's strict faculty. They started running across the yard and they didn't stop until they were off the property and out of its reach. The two girls giggled as the rush of adrenaline ran through their veins. No one, absolutely no one escaped from the school and if anyone tried, they were guaranteed to get caught and get cruelly reprimanded. Both girls were breathing heavily after their mad dash and continued walking down the sidewalk, thinking of the many consequences of their spontaneous actions.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure dey forget about it by tomorrow." Chali reassured, tugging at the collar of her uniform, "Dese dings are so uncomfortable. I don't understand how you can where dese dings all da time."

"You get used to them after a while." Tomoyo replied, looking up at the distant horizon, "I love this town. The cherry blossom festival is on next week. I'm so excited. I'm going to make Sakura a kimono! I'll have to make sure Sakura and Syaoran go together. You should come with us!" Tomoyo's eyes twinkled with delight.

"I haven't got anyding to wear for such an event." Chali replied tonelessly.

"I'll make a kimono for you but I'll need your sizes. How tall are you?"

"A whopping 151cm." Chali replied with a laugh.

"I think I'll make it yellow. You would look gorgeous in yellow." The two teens continued walking along the sidewalk and turned onto the street Syaoran's apartment building was on. They spotted it in the distance and quickened their pace.

"I think I will make Sakura's kimono green, Syaoran's favourite colour. She looks fabulous in green. Maybe a rich green like grass." Tomoyo explained absently, deep in thought. Chali tried to piece together the kimono Tomoyo was describing in her head but she wasn't having any luck.

**c**

Finally they reached Syaoran's apartment building and rose up to his level. They found his door and were faced with a new dilemma.

"How are we going to get in?" Tomoyo exclaimed, bending down to the welcome mat to see if there was a key beneath it but there was no sign of one.

"Simple!" Chali looked down the hall to make sure it was vacant and when she was sure it was, she let out one of her claws and stuck it in the keyhole in the door. She flicked her wrist and pulled her nail out of the lock. With a grin of satisfaction, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

Hearing no noise, the two teens sneaked into the apartment and split off into two different directions. Tomoyo was in the kitchen when she heard Chali hiss at her. Tomoyo came out and found Chali with her kitty ears and whiskers protruding lazily. She wasn't making any effort to keep them hidden.

"Look!" She whispered, motioning Tomoyo over whit her hand. Tomoyo tiptoed across the floor.

"Awww!" Tomoyo cooed, clasping her hands by her face. There was Syaoran and Sakura fast asleep on the couch. Syaoran was sitting up, dormant of course, with his head lolled to one side. Sakura was sprawled out on the rest of the couch, her head propped up on Syaoran's leg. His hand was resting on the small of her back, brushing up against bare skin. Chali and Tomoyo both looked at each other and back at them, noticing how matching the little smiles on their faces were. It was a tender sight and Tomoyo couldn't resist pulling out her camcorder to tape it.

**c**

Chali and Tomoyo soon found themselves in Syaoran's kitchen after cooing at the sleeping couple on the couch for almost 15 minutes straight. It was 3:30 by then and they both decided that they would cook up something or other for the sake of it. Chali raided Syaoran's fridge and pulled away with a satisfied smirk.

"Have you ever had Mexican food?" Chali asked, tipping her head to one side.

"No but my mother has and she says it delicious!" Tomoyo replied with a smile.

"Well it's time you tried it. I can whip up a wicked Mexican meal especially fajitas." Chali grabbed some green and red peppers and an onion from the fridge and set them on the counter. She then managed to find and dig out two frozen chicken breasts from the freezer. She instructed Tomoyo to wash the veggies while she raided the pantry for other ingredients for a tortilla batter.

After she had found all the ingredients she needed and stuck them all in a bowl, she made Tomoyo mix it all together while she chopped the veggies and stuck the chicken in the microwave to defrost.

Soon, Chali had Tomoyo frying the veggies while she roasted the tortillas with an expert eye, flipping them all professionally and toasting them to perfection. She stuck them in a preheated oven just to keep them warm until they ate. She walked over to Tomoyo who was closely inspecting the veggies and the chicken she was frying. Out of no where, a little bag with a drawstring appeared in Chali's hand and she opened it and poured some of its contents into the palm of her hand. She pinched some of the yellow and green powder between her fingertips and sprinkled it on top of the veggies and chicken. They sizzled wildly and tongues of flame flickered from the pan but in the blink of an eye, the pan was normal again. Tomoyo gaped at Chali and noticed that the sack had disappeared.

"What was that?" Tomoyo asked.

"It's wonderful stuff. It makes dings taste a whole lot better." Chali explained, purring softly as she inhaled the delicious scent in the air.

**c**

The exotic smell wafted over to the sleeping couple on the couch, arousing their senses and causing them to stir. Syaoran opened one eye and caught a glimpse of Sakura using his leg as a pillow. He would have jumped up and gone bright red if it hadn't been for the calm and tranquil mood he was in.

Sakura woke and turned her head up to Syaoran. He looked so peaceful and not mention handsome and she felt as if her insides were going to turn to jelly. She smiled at him tiredly and he returned it. She pulled herself up and felt his fingers drag along the bare skin on the small of her back. She didn't protest as he touched her, in fact, she let it wash over her like a drug, making her nerves tingle with lazy arousal.

Syaoran heard the small moan that escaped her full lips as his fingers dragged along her back but chose not to say a word. He got up on his feet and Sakura tried to as well but her injury was making her unsteady so he helped her stay on her feet. She hobbled along side of Syaoran to the kitchen, following the wonderful smell. They found Tomoyo and Chali chatting quietly in the kitchen, eating some sort of very tasty looking wrap.

"Ah! The sleepy heads are awake! We don't have to whisper anymore." Tomoyo exclaimed with a smile.

"I took advantage of your kitchen. We made some for you." Chali said with a mouthful of fajita. She motioned over to the fajitas over on the counter, sitting on a plate. Sakura and Syaoran shrugged at each other and grabbed a fajita. They each took a bite.

"Hey! This is good!" Sakura exclaimed, taking a huge bite and expressing joy all over. Syaoran grunted with a subtle nod as a sign to say he liked it. Chali wasn't very satisfied with his response and narrowed her eyes in his direction.

"Oh come on cute Syaoran! Let me hear dat you like it." Chali cooed, wiggling her ears. Syaoran raised his eyebrows, looking awkward, "Come on!"

"Yeah, fine. It's good." He mumbled.

"Oh Syaoran, always so modest." Tomoyo laughed, flicking her silky hair back behind her. Syaoran rolled his eyes to hide his embarrassment and suddenly got a confused look on his face.

"Hey! How did you get into my apartment?" Syaoran exclaimed. Tomoyo pointed over to Chali quickly and Chali just smiled.

"Dere are many advantages to having claws." She grinned, her sharpened claws shooting out of her nail beds and glittering maliciously in the light.

"Put those things away!" Syaoran exclaimed, staring at them with a worried expression written all over his face. Chali, Tomoyo and Sakura just laughed.

**c**

Chali and Tomoyo walked home together after departing Syaoran's apartment, leaving Sakura all alone with Syaoran. That suited Tomoyo just fine.

"We need them to be together. Not only are they one of a kind but together they are a-do-ra-ble! I mean, he's the perfect height for her, he's so strong and sexy and she's so pretty and feminine. If perfect was possible, I'd say they take the prize for perfect couple." Tomoyo raved wildly.

"Dey are perfect for each oder, you are right. I can't wait until dey hook up. What fun you will have taping dem." Chali replied enthusiastically with a smile.

"You should come over to my house! I can take your sizes for that kimono and you can take a look at some of the lovely footage of Sakura and Syaoran I've collected over the past. You can help me pick out some of the best because I'm going to make this movie…" Chali smiled and they headed off to Tomoyo's house while she listened to Tomoyo. Chali's eyes just about fell out of her sockets when she caught sight of Tomoyo's house.

"Holy house." Chali managed to sputter, gazing around at her surroundings as she entered the house and headed up to Tomoyo's room.

"I know. It is rather big." Tomoyo replied, opening the door to her room and allowing Chali to enter. Chali sauntered around her room for a moment before collapsing on her couch. Tomoyo went over to her vanity table and pulled out a measuring tape from a drawer in the cabinet. Chali got up and let Tomoyo measure her, taking every measurement she needed. She jotted them all down on a piece of paper and pinned it up on her corkboard.

"Feel free to look around. All of Sakura's outfit's are in that room over there." Tomoyo said, pointing to a room on the far end.

"Sakura has a room of her own for her outfits?" Chali muttered in awe, opening the door and stepping into the closet full of clothes complete with shoes and hats and other accessories to match. She went around to each one, staring and touching and being bewildered.

"Wow…" Chali whispered with amazement. Tomoyo poked her head in the doorway.

"There are a lot I've made for her. Since she started capturing the Clow Cards all the way up to now. I found a fabric for your kimono. Come out and see it." Tomoyo said. Chali ventured out of the room and found Tomoyo folding a large piece of pale yellow silk embroidered with flowers. Chali ran her fingers across the silk and gasped.

"It's so soft!" She exclaimed, her kitty ears that stuck out of her hair perked rigid. Tomoyo laughed.

"I always pick the softest material." Tomoyo put a corner of the fabric against her skin tone and grinned, "You'll look gorgeous in this colour! I can't wait to make it for you!" Her eyes glittered and she folded the fabric back up. She stuck it on a chair by her sewing machine and collapsed on her couch.

"It's been a crazy day. Right! You need to watch some of these movies! Come on!" Tomoyo jumped up and ran over to her theatre/adjoining room. Chali followed her warily and gasped when she stepped into the room.

"A movie cinema!" She cried, her jaw dropped. Tomoyo laughed and motioned for her to sit on the couch.

"Come here! You have to help me pick out some good moments for a movie I'm making and if you promise not to tell, I'll tell you why I'm making it…"

**c**

**Thank you lil wolf lover, Tam-Chan, Yami Umi, Boheme and Loving-CCS-101. I am so dissapointed that this chapter 16 got only 5 reviews. I think its one of my best written ones. Im so angered by this that if my reviews don't get pushed up to 138 by the memo after chapter 19, that memo might be announcing the end. So review or else.**

**I just won a short story competition this week!! EEEEE! I won $500 bucks! If you guys want to read it (its less than 350 words) just say so in your reviews that I better be getting and I'll post it with chapter 18.**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	19. Chapter 18

**(The words used in Chalandra's spell are fictional. Any similarities with other words in other languages are entirely coincidental.)**

**Chapter 18: The Future Is Not Guaranteed Friday…**

**Friday...**

"You have a telepathic relationship with Syaoran and you didn't tell me?" Tomoyo exclaimed, looking aghast. She and Sakura were walking home to Tomoyo's house from school.

"Well, I didn't think it would stick and be permanent but it did! And now I can hear his thought without even trying and vice-versa. It's like hearing him actually say something; you can't not hear it." Sakura exclaimed desperately, waving her arms around dramatically. Onlookers stared with concern at the two girls, shouting at each other about hearing people's minds and swinging their arms around like crazed lunatics.

"When did it start?" Tomoyo asked, her voice laced greedily with anticipation and curiosity.

"It started a little while back…" Sakura explained the whole story in detail. Tomoyo nodded and took in every word she said.

"So you could like, talk with me in my mind?" Tomoyo asked.

"No. Only certain people can do it, mostly the magical ones. I don't think I would want to listen into your thoughts anyway. You're too weird." Sakura replied playfully. Tomoyo mock gasped and punched her lightly on the arm.

"I'm taking offence to that remark." Tomoyo turned her face away and pretended to cry. Sakura giggled and walked up to the gate of Tomoyo's mansion. She pressed the buzzer.

"Hello?" A voice cracked through the speaker.

"It's Tomoyo and Sakura." Tomoyo said happily and a singsong voice. The gates swung open immediately and Tomoyo and Sakura skipped down her driveway like Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road.

"Tea for two or three today?" A maid asked when they had entered the mansion and started to head up to Tomoyo's room.

"Just for two thanks." Tomoyo replied. She grabbed Sakura's hand and bounded up to her room and they collapsed backwards onto her bed.

"OOO! I almost forgot! I need you to try on three kimono I made. I want to see which style looks best." Tomoyo jumped up from her bed and ran over to the massive walk in closet dedicated to Sakura's collection of Tomoyo made clothing. She pulled out three very bland looking kimono and set them down on her bed, "Here. Try this one first."

Sakura stripped down to her undergarments and slipped on the first kimono with Tomoyo expertise help. It was a very traditional looking kimono, with an overlapping collar, a rather large obi and the kimono ended at the ankles. The sleeves were very long and they dipped to the knee. After modelling it off, Tomoyo handed her the second to put on. It was a little more contemporary, with much smaller length of sleeves, a seam going down the right and the medium sized obi was more around the stomach. Tomoyo gazed at it approvingly and Sakura was instructed to try on the third.

The third kimono was much more modern than the previous two. It had even shorter length of fabric in the arm. The collar was a gaping v-neck and the medium sized obi was supposed to be tied in a modern geisha knot. The fabric ended mid thigh, showing off Sakura's cream coloured legs. Tomoyo just about swallowed her tongue as she gazed at her favourite model in the voluptuous kimono and cried out in glee.

"Perfect! This is the one!" She jumped up and skipped around Sakura happily, "It looks fabulous, gorgeous and not to mention," She stopped right in front of Sakura's face and grinned mischievously, "sexy!"

"Sexy?!" Sakura exclaimed, "W-what do y-you mean?" She started blushing madly.

"Oh boy, Syaoran's going to just die when he sees you in this!" Tomoyo ranted, dancing from one foot to the other with stars in her eyes.

"What!?" Sakura shouted, stomping her foot on the floor.

"Actually he'll probably get a hard-on but whatever." Tomoyo muttered more to herself than to Sakura. She nodded as an affirmative to herself and spun around to Sakura again, "Now what fabric…" Tomoyo launched herself at her dresser of fabrics and dug through it like a child rips the paper of a present. She pulled out an emerald green silk and stroked it with her palm. She smiled and set it out on her bed, "Isn't it gorgeous?" Sakura nodded and ran her fingers across the silk. She turned her head away and saw something that caught her eye.

"That's a gorgeous kimono." Sakura said, pointing to a not yet finished yellow kimono. It hung on a hanger by her door to the movie screen room.

"I'm making it for Chali. She's going to come with us to the cherry blossom festival. Don't you think she will look fabulous in that?" Tomoyo said fondly. Sakura nodded and began to take off the kimono but stopped to look in the mirror.

_O my gosh…_Sakura looked herself up and down in the mirror, _I actually do look rather…um…hot I guess. _Sakura blushed softly and got back into her own clothes. Thought of Syaoran clouded her mind, _What will he think of the kimono? Will he like it? Oh gosh, what if he doesn't? Why am I thinking about what he thinks? Ahhh!_ Sakura shook her head as if she was shaking the thoughts from her mind.

"I love this style of kimono. It's very much like a yukata (summer kimono) but its still warm enough for spring. It reveals the neck so well, which as you probably know is the most sensual part of a kimono-wearing woman. And I finally learnt how to tie a cho cho musubi (butterfly) knot for the obi just right without my mother's help. Ah, I think your obi will be blue!" Tomoyo pulled out a sky blue piece of cotton and set it against the green silk, "Just perfect!"

**c**

Over tea with Tomoyo, time passed like the breeze. Soon it was pushing 6:30 and Sakura left Tomoyo's house and walked to her own. The naked branches of cherry trees were budding with powder pink blossoms, just waiting to burst. A sparrow exploded from a cherry blossom tree and sprayed unopened blossoms helplessly onto the sidewalk in front of Sakura's feet. She carefully by-passed them and tears sprung into Sakura's eyes. The blossoms had painfully reminded her of the man she had seen obliterated before her eyes. _The family of that man I saw turn to dust right before my eyes…they must be devastated…and those other families missing loved ones that were listed on the news…I-I wish there was something I could do. _She wiped away a tear that had strayed onto her cheek. _What a heartless, cold-blooded murderer. _Sakura sniffed and blinked away some of her unshed tears. _I will avenge them and their poor families. I'll make sure these killings stops and the everything will be alright. _Sakura's thoughts strayed on her invincible spell and she smiled with a surfacing courage. _It's invincible. That's right._ She clenched her fists and gazed into the softening sky, tinted by the lavish sunset hidden behind the many buildings. _I'll bring that miserable magician's terror to an end if it's the last thing I do._

**c**

Chali sat cross-legged upon her bedroom floor in deep concentration inside her and her brother's rented apartment. Camlo leant on her doorframe, watching her curiously.

"What are you doing?" He prodded. Chali opened one of her yellow eyes and narrowed them with animosity.

"Trying to work." She replied simply, closing her eye again and slipping into deep concentration again.

"Doesn't look like it." Camlo said, licking one of his paws. Chali kept her composure.

"Well I am." Chalandra breathed in deeply and the room seemed to breathe as well, relaxing and bathing itself in a pale light.

"It looks like you're just sitting dere." Camlo blurted, unable to keep his comments to himself. Both of Chalandra's eyes flew open and the room flickered dangerously. Camlo took a step back and squeaked. The room seemed to be leering at him.

"I happen to be attempting to perform a highly difficult spell requiring concentration AND quiet!" Chalandra shouted angrily at her troublesome brother. He dashed out of the room and locked himself in the bathroom.

"Geez," he muttered, staring at himself in the mirror. He examined himself and smiled, "Damn I'm sexy."

**c**

Chalandra closed her eyes again and brought the room's energy down until it once again hummed with relaxation. Satisfied, Chalandra raised her arms from her sides to above her head and held her palms upwards.

"Miano tiesta." Chalandra whispered, dropping one arm in front of her and drawing a pentacle in the air with her finger. The tattoo of a pentacle on her wrist she kept hidden so carefully began to pulse. It cast a gingerly glow around the room.

"Nani michendo." Chalandra brought the other arm down and clasped her hands together. She bent her elbows and brought her hands to her chest.

"Bring forward da ultimate future of da battle we face." Chalandra's voice rose in volume, sending tremors vibrating in the air. She got to her feet and slowly raised her hands upwards again.

"Wheder(whether) da outcome be for better of for worse." Chalandra tipped her head back and readied herself for the finishing phrase of her spell. She clenched her eyes closed and prayed for better news.

"Play out in front of me of what we shall behold! Release!" There was a burst of blinding light that exploded in the room and Chalandra reluctantly opened her eyes. She winced as the light burned into her sensitive pupils but she fought the pain and tried to find the image in the brilliance.

She found the sphere of light and held it in her hand, cringing painfully. With barely opened eyes, she watched the image unfold on the surface of the globe.

Rain poured from the sky, dousing Syaoran and Sakura from head to toe. A looming figure scowled before them, its icy blue eyes glaring venomously at them. There was a blinding surge of light and the image on the globe began to swirl and change.

Sakura's eyes were vacant and she stood alone in the rain. A wilted hand crept up to her cheek and stroked it tenderly and then slapped her hard. The light was so bright as the image changed that Chalandra screamed out in agony. Her eyes prickled and burned so badly that she wanted to close them but she couldn't risk it. The last image the spellbound sphere of illuminance would reveal was always the most important.

A blood soaked article of clothing flew in the air and landed in a wet heap. Syaoran was sprawled out on the dampened concrete, blood trickling down his side. Sakura ran over to his body and cried out in sorrow. And softly in the distance the wail of a siren moaned into the quiet night air. The light erupted with a loud crash and Chalandra was thrown into a wall on the other side of the room. She landed in a crumpled mass and heaved out in exhaustion.

"Chali!" Camlo shouted, running into Chalandra's room and gathering her in his arms. Chalandra's head lolled to one side.

"Wake up!" Camlo shook her desperately. Slowly, Chalandra came around and peeled open one of her eyes. They were bright red and awfully bloodshot. She moaned and rested her head on her brother's chest.

"Are you alright?" Camlo asked urgently, getting to his feet, still holding her in his muscular arms.

"Yes." Chalandra whispered. Camlo set her down on her bed and pulled the sheets overtop of her limp body.

"What did you see?" he asked, scratching his arm nervously.

"Dose people Moder sent us here to help protect?" Chalandra whispered, her lips barely moving.

"Yes?" Camlo drew nearer, bringing his ear down to her lips.

"Dey might not see da light of next week because of dat magician if we don't do someding." With that said, Chalandra relaxed into her pillow and tumbled into a deep slumber.

**c**

**Dun dun dun...The plot begins to thicken. Muahaha. Thank you Miss.Redi, Lily, Tam-chan, Mew Frost, Yami-Umi, starlight, Boheme, lil wolf lover and Sakura-cha. Keep reviewing you guys! Or else i might have to kill Syaoran off for sure! And what would you guys do about that! Huh? Im just kidding. I won't kill off Syaoran unless this chapter gets less than 8 reviews so bump up the reviews to 137 or higher. **

**Anyway, a few of you wanted to read my short story that won me 500 dollars. So here it is!**

**"I'm Nothing"**

She writhed as she lay on the dirty concrete floor, strewn with cigarette buts and broken glass. She didn't know how long it had been since her last dose of Novacaine but her body was craving it. Her insides churned like snakes making her uncomfortably nauseous. She threw up the contents of her stomach onto the already sordid ground and moaned. The feeling was coming back to her body and she convulsed painfully, a rush of agony shooting up and grabbing at her brain like clawed hands. She wrenched her eyes open and felt the light burn into her dilated pupils, searing them like a lighter against skin. A soft, almost inaudible moan escaped her cracked lips. She watched a blurry silhouette stride towards her and she could barely make out the cruel, callous grin that played on his lips.

"Tell me now, what would you be without me?" He sneered maliciously, his eyes staring with heartless and unmerciful malevolence.

"Without you, I'm nothing." She whispered, barely audible. Her body jerked torturously, the nerves in her legs twitching uncontrollably.

"Louder." He spoke with cold-blooded dominance. He watched her quiver in her mental torment inside the weakly lit room.

"Without you, I'm nothing!" She screamed with burning anguish. It echoed around the vacant warehouse wasteland, plaguing her ears with cruel affliction. It was only when it waned into silence that he smirked with satisfaction.

"Good." He purred, his voice laced with spiteful malice. In his dirtied hand appeared a syringe of drug and he carefully inserted its sharp point into her bare arm. He emptied the drug into her arm and pulled out the needle, it disappearing immediately into thin air.

A wave of numbness washed over her, filling her with nothing but a dull emptiness. Her mind became a blank canvass, vacant of thought or emotion and with the last remaining feeling she had, her lips curled up into a satiated smile.

"I'm nothing…"

**Tell me how you liked it in the review you're going to write me! Thanks!**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Interlude**

**Friday night…**

"I know, god damnit! I can't help if it's been two weeks already!" Orion jeered angrily, smashing his fist against his kitchen counter.

"Calm down! You're acting worse than me when I'm angry." His ageing friend replied through the phone receiver back in St. Petersburg. Nico was pacing impatiently in his living room anxiously awaiting what else his powerful friend had to say.

"I can't help it! That little Chinese twit is driving me crazy. I could have finished my task already if it wasn't him. I mean he's ruined all my plans up to date, destroyed my few chances to get the Card Mistress alone and yesterday he blew me out of a fucking tree! He's crossed the line!"

"Then kill him! Just stop ranting to me about how he's pissing you off."

"I will. I just have to wait until the opportune moment." Orion's eyes narrowed corruptly and he snatched a bottle of vodka out of his fridge. In his current guise, he didn't even look as if he was the legal age to drink any alcoholic beverage but he guzzled it down anyway, savouring the pleasurable burn down his throat and letting the alcohol calm his frazzled nerves. _'Yes, I will kill that stupid boy and his weak, cherry blossom too. It will be then that I will gain my prize.'_

"Orion?" Nico called out, "Are you still there?"

"Yes," Orion replied absently, "Just plotting." An evil grin plastered itself on his handsome face. He hung up on Nico and threw his empty bottle of alcohol into his recycling bin. He traipsed out onto the balcony of his apartment and stared down at all the people down below, so small and so easy to obliterate out of existence. He chuckled to himself and brushed his fingers through his raven black hair. It was soft as silk against his slim fingers and he then brushed them down his chin against the prickly whiskers that had sprouted there over the last day.

Dusk was creeping along the horizon, basking Tomoeda in a pale darkness while the moon in the sky loomed above. From afar he spotted the high school and barely resisted the urge to blow it out of the sky. He gritted his teeth and growled sharply, a light gust of wind playing with his blackened tresses. In his solitude, he reminisced on the past before he accepted the ridiculous bet to obtain the Clow Cards. Of course, it wasn't like he didn't want them; but actually having complications completing his task was humiliating to him. He was looking forward to just ending it and returning to St. Petersburg to destroy more innocent and insignificant lives. The idea was so tasteful to him that he almost had the urge to go travel to the airport and return to the USA. _'But not yet,'_ he mused, perplexed. _'I have work to do yet.'_

Orion sauntered back indoors and sat upon his moth eaten couch. He lived in filth but didn't mind too much. His brain was always concentrating on plotting the death of the Card Mistress and the Chinese brat so he barely even noticed.

The alcohol he had consumed had calmed his nerves but his body still throbbed dully, often shooting shocking pains up his spine and down his limbs. For years and years he ignored the inevitable effects of his constant ageing by hiding his true form under many layers of disguises. It had been so long ago when he had showed his actual form that he truly couldn't remember what he looked like. All he knew was that beneath his many disguises of youth, he was ageing, perhaps even dying. But he knew that with the power of the Card Mistress in his hands, he could rid himself of that terrible burden and become immortal to the effects and ageing all together. He hungered for the power, licking his lips, almost tasting the sweet and pure power of the cherry blossom coat his tongue. He moaned softly and leant back on his couch.

"Oh cherry blossom," he whispered, snapping open his frigid blue eyes, "I just can't wait to get my hands on you."

**c**

Overtop of Japan the air began churning, thick as chilled syrup. Heat waves began visible in the atmosphere, bringing with them a humid and bitter wind. Beyond the barriers of the earth the sun jerked violently, causing technological disaster across the face of humanity. Tremors of destruction were caused by the failing technology, vehicle collisions in unlit intersections, heated phone calls disconnected and patients relying on Life Support dying. Orion felt not an ounce of guilt for he had completed his task upon the rooftop of his apartment building. His arms were spread out wide and his palms were facing upwards at the darkened sky. He threw his head back and chuckled maliciously as he felt the waves of heat hit his body. The air became so thick that it was almost impossible to breathe it in but he continued laughing, fuelled by the wicked, murderous thoughts that ran through his mind.

'_Try running away from this one.'_

**c**

**The interlude of my story. It marks somewhere around the late middle of my story. Things are getting rather grim don't you think? Muahaha.**

**Ok. So I got those 8 reviews I wanted. Thanks to lil wolf lover, Starlight1234, Pomsgurl16, Asmi Lover + Mew Frost (your crazy reviews always give me a chuckle), Chibbi Ubba, Boheme, Miss.Redi and professionaldooropener. That doesn't mean don't give me more review. And even though this was a short chapter, I still want reviews. Bump it up to 146+ and I'll be decently happy. The next chapter I'm posting is going to be a super important memo (and no, this story is not going on hiatus so you can keep your socks on). You'll definatly want to read that baby. **

**Thanks as always, love and fluff, yours truly, the notorious Sgt. Bronte Slurpy**


	21. Cast Memo

**_Oh my god it's a..._**

**_CAST MEMO! _**

**_Run for you lives! _**

**_Just kidding. Read it or else..._**

**_bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!_**

Omnipotent Author Bronte (Bront-tay to all those who think my name is pronounced Bront) pushed away from her laptop and stared at her corkboard of random thoughts. Her eyes came across a particular post-it note and she read it slowly.

No sooner had she done this, her bedroom door swung open and the cast from All Along traipsed into her room, each throwing her an irritated glare before seating themselves down on her bed, onto her floor and in Kero's case, on top of her messy dresser.

"Alrighty," Omnipotent Author Bronte laced her fingers in her lap, "I am aware of your complaints and I made them so important in my mind that I wrote a post it note and stuck it on my corkboard just to remind me." Everyone's eyes flashed to the little yellow post-it note almost buried amongst the other crap on that board.

"People cloning, wait. Scratch that. People coming to conplan? What?" Fujitaka muttered, trying to read the note. Omnipotent Author Bronte rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Must I do everything?" Without paying much attention to the grunts and groans from the cast of All Along, she continued, "It says to those who can't read my writing-"

"Who can read your writing?" Touya muttered sarcastically. Omnipotent Author Bronte shot him a dirty look.

"Anyway, it says-"

"Come on! I mean seriously, we've all tried to read what you've got planned for us in that ratty notebook of yours but your writing is illegible!" Naoko ranted, throwing her hands up into the air. Other characters all muttered with agreement amongst themselves.

"Shut up! All of you before I get Murdoc!" The cast of All Along all shuddered at the thought of getting bludgeoned by a sledgehammer and immediately slammed their lips tight. Omnipotent Author Bronte grinned maliciously and stood up.

"We've seemed to encounter a few problems. Such as the fact that Syaoran has to leave again for Hong Kong…wait. Where the hell are Syaoran and Sakura?"

"Right here!" Syaoran pushed open the bedroom door and staggered into the room, his hair all dishevelled and he had lip-gloss smeared all across his cheek. Sakura came in behind him, her hair a little ruffled as well. They both had an provoked, out to lunch look in their eyes.

"Whoa!" Omnipotent Author Bronte jumped about a foot in the air and raised her arms, "What the hell have you two been doing? Wipe that lip gloss off your face Syaoran and look presentable!" Omnipotent Author Bronte rolled her eyes, turned her back to them and rested her hand on her forehead, "You two disgust me." She shook her head, still facing away, "And Touya! Get your hands off of Syaoran before I whack you with my sledgehammer!"

Nineteen irritated pairs of beady, aggravated eyes stared up at Omnipotent Author Bronte as if they wanted her to say something. Instead, she went over to her corkboard and plucked the little yellow note off its surface.

"People coming over to complain." Omnipotent Author Bronte read as a-matter-of-fact-ly.

"Well no shit Sherlock." Orion stated dryly, rolling his often spoken of blue eyes.

"Aye! Keep your language to a minimum. We all know you're an old man puckered at both ends underneath that rotten guise of yours but no one wants to hear your bitching."

"You just swore yourself you brit-faced twit!" Orion retorted bitterly.

"The word I used happens to mean female dog. Hey wait, whom are you calling a brit-faced twit? Just because I have a slight accent-"

"That's enough children!" Terada-sensei got up between the two of them and pushed them out of each other's faces. Omnipotent Author Bronte turned her nose away from a sneering Orion and spun back to the rest of the cast.

"Hey! I have a question!" Camlo stuck his hand up in the air and waved it around. Omnipotent Author Bronte tapped her desk impatiently and motioned for him to continue.

"When do I start doing important dings?" He asked, wiggling his kitty ears cutely.

"Ah, that my dear will happen soon." Omnipotent Author Bronte smirked mischievously. Camlo's eyes went a little wide.

"Um, in dat case maybe I'll just stay a minor character." He said warily. Omnipotent Author Bronte continued smirking.

"Too bad. I already have a wonderful idea for you brewing in my mind."

"What about Yue?" Yukito asked, sitting on the bed beside Touya.

"He'll be up soon I promise. I kind of forgot about him until I thought about it last night."

"And me?" A small, timid voice said by the dresser. A boy in his late twenties appeared, looking nervous in the presence of the plotting author.

"Who the hell are you?" Omnipotent Author Bronte stared at the man with confusion and scepticism.

"You know, Brandon. From chapter 2? In the bar that made the bet with him?" Brandon pointed over to Orion who sent him back a venomous death glare.

"Ah! I remember you! I'll stick you in somewhere later too so sit tight." Omnipotent Author Bronte leant back on her desk beside her pet cactus.

"You know, they say the origin of the cactus was a plant brought here by the aliens. A spaceship crash landed in a desert area and thousands of cactus seeds flew everywhere and-" Takashi began before he was interrupted by Chiharu who started strangling him sadistically. The cast shrugged it off as if it was something they would see everyday.

"Aye! Syaoran and Sakura! Eyes up here!" Omnipotent Author Bronte snapped her fingers at the couple at the back of the room, who were sucking each others mouths off. They reluctantly pulled away and Syaoran flashed a smug smirk in Touya's direction.

"Why you little cocky son of a-" His speech would have gone on into some rather crude phrases if Murdoc the sledgehammer hadn't popped out of no where and tapped Touya lightly (ahem) on the head. He swayed for a moment on his feet before toppling to the ground with a loud thump.

"Touya!" Yukito shrieked, falling to his knees and holding his unconscious lover in his arms.

"Get over it! Geez," Omnipotent Author Bronte rolled her eyes dramatically. She turned to stare incredulously at the reader and sighed, "Boy love. Talk about drama."

"What's going to happen to Syaoran?" Wei inquired, reflecting back to the 'return to Hong Kong' dilemma.

"I'm working on it so don't get your knickers all in a bunch. (That's panties to you Americans/Canadians) In fact, I have a plan brewing in my twisted mind at this very moment. All I can say is that-" Omnipotent Author Bronte paused for a moment of suspense before continuing, "You've been warned." The cast of All Along groaned in response.

"Excuse me, I have a question about a review you received." Tomoyo said, crossing her legs and lacing her fingers in her lap all ladylike.

"Uh huh?"

"It was a review regarding sticking more S + S into your story to get more reviews. I know I wouldn't mind seeing a little more action." Tomoyo smirked, glancing back and Syaoran and Sakura making eyes at each other.

"Oh man. I've been really thinking about that one a lot," Omnipotent Author Bronte explained, running her fingers through her purple and rather annoyingly curly hair, "It's really hard to shove in more fluff when it really isn't appropriate. Doing that wouldn't make it realistic when I'm trying to develop a real story-line and various other personalities. So I'll wait until the opportune moment to stick the fluff in. This story is not supposed to be a fluff-fest. It's a some-what serious drama with a touch of humour and additional romantic scenes. But I promise, now that this story is slowly nearing its end, the fluff will only increase from here." The cast all nodded their heads and mumbled amongst themselves on the subject.

"Hey! How come I haven't been anywhere in this story since like, chapter 10?" Kero cried above the buzz of the cast, zooming right into Omnipotent Author Bronte's face and glaring at her with his beady eyes. The vicious stare had absolutely no effect on Omnipotent Author Bronte and she swatted him away casually.

"Oh yes. You'll be mentioned very soon. It's not a very flattering mention but its one none the less." Omnipotent Author Bronte winked at Kero who was glowering at her as he hovered in mid air.

"Alright. So let me get dis straight." Chali said, attempting to clear her own confusion, "I see some crazy premonition in da spell I was doing, Orion is losing his sanity and taking it out on us and da sun just jerked violently causing mass chaos around da world. Where da hell are we going to go from dere?"

"I'd say were doomed." Sakura pointed out in a matter-of-fact kind of voice. Syaoran shrugged and nodded.

"Don't be so pessimistic." Omnipotent Author Bronte exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together and sitting back on her rolling chair by her laptop. "Class is dismissed!" She called, waving her hand towards the door. The cast walked out sourly, muttering unanswered questions beneath their breath.

Once everyone was out of the room and the door was closed, Omnipotent Author Bronte relaxed back into her seat and began to skip through her massive CD collection.

"It's like they think I'm evil of something."

**c**

**WOOT! Thank you Mew Frost and Asmi Lover, Tam-Chan, Boheme, waitingforjudgement, lil wolf lover, Sakura-cha, Yami Umi x2 and Miss.Redi (who seems get a lot of amusement from seeing her name on my list). What's up next you ask? A three part chapter 20. Big, fat, juicy adventure. **

**Because I'm mean and I'm still not content whatsoever with my number of reviews, I want the numbers up to 200 by the end of chapter 20. That gives you four more chances to bump it up. Do you know what that means? REVIEW! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Oh wait, did you catch that? Maybe I'll say it again. REVIEW!!!!!! DO IT! I DARE YOU!**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	22. Chapter 20 Part 1

**Chapter 20: Part 1 – If Only**

**Saturday Morning…**

An eerie silence blanketed the morning air over Tomoeda. The town brooded beneath the sweltering heat. Sakura stood by her window, a sense of something about to happen crawled all over her skin. _It's only late April. How could it be this hot? _Sakura frowned and wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. She was dressed in a low cut spaghetti strapped top and the lightest pair of bootie shorts she could dig out of her closet. She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail, leaving a few stubborn strands to fall onto her face. She ventured downstairs and into the kitchen but found that no one was there. Confused, she stood in the middle of the kitchen and called out to her father but received no reply. She ran up the stairs and cautiously entered his room, only to find him still sleeping.

"Father, wake up!" Sakura shouted in his ear. He responded by continuing to sleep soundlessly. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed with deep confusion and she ran over to Touya's room and found him sleeping as well. _'What's going on? Maybe I'll call Tomoyo. She'll be up by now.'_ Sakura dashed back downstairs to grab the portable phone and dialled Tomoyo's number. It rang through and Sakura received the voice mail recording service. She hung up the phone before the whole recording went through and frowned. _'Syaoran has to be up!'_ She dialled Syaoran's phone number and silently prayed that he would answer.

"Hello?" Syaoran's voice rang through the receiver.

"Thank god! Someone is awake! It's seems everyone is still asleep!" Sakura exclaimed.

"What? Everyone is asleep?" He paused and yelled out to his guardian but received no reply from him, "You're right. I can't wake Wei," He paused again and Sakura heard him open a door, "Oh my god, it's so hot outside."

"I know. Do you think it could be the magician?"

"Probably. A heat wave like this isn't normal for a spring in Japan and with everyone asleep, I'd say he's the culprit. Chali said he uses weather as a weapon right? If that's the case, he's used fog, wind, rain, snow, a thunder storm and now heat."

"You're right! Let's meet somewhere and sort this out."

"How about Penguin Park?"

"Great. Let's meet there as soon as possible."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Bye!" Sakura hung up the phone and ran into the kitchen. She quickly grabbed some leftover ramen noodles and gobbled them down.

"Kero!" Sakura shouted, slipping on her shoes at the door. The sun guardian floated down the stairs looking very tired and baked. "Wake up Kero! That magician has attacked Tomoeda again!"

"Mm hmm." Kero replied vacantly and dropped from the air onto Sakura's shoulder, snoring loudly.

"Kero! Geez!" Sakura yelled angrily, picking up her guardian and shaking him to no avail. Sakura growled with frustration and ran outside, leaving the useless protector on table by the door. She released her staff and dashed towards Penguin Park. It wasn't long before she had to slow her pace because of the blazing heat.

"Oh my god!" She panted breathlessly and continued to walk the rest of the way. She walked past the Penguin slide and collapsed on a bench in the shade. The humidity in the air was so thick that Sakura figured she could probably cut it with a knife.

"Sakura! Are you alright?" Syaoran's voice came into earshot and he ran over to the bench she was strewn upon. He was dressed in only a wife-beater and a pair of shorts. Beads of perspiration clung and dripped from the tips of his hair.

"I'm fine." Sakura replied quickly, her voice short and raspy.

"Come on. We need to find the source of this." Syaoran said, offering his hand. She took it in her own graciously and he pulled her upright. She smiled at him and they began to walk.

The sun belted down on the two teens. They made an effort to try to stay in the shade but somehow they ended up in the sun anyway. They barely said a word as they made their way along the street, their throats too dry to make a sound. Sakura potted a water fountain and ran over to it.

"I figured I'd find you two around here." A thickly accented voice said from behind them. Both Syaoran and Sakura spun around and spotted Chalandra, sitting comfortably on her haunches.

"Are you alright Chali?" Sakura whispered, staring at her unhealthy looking friend. Her eyes were teary and bloodshot and there were dark, sagging circled under her eyes.

"I'm fine, just…" Chali trailed off, not looking either of them in the eyes, "…tired." The memory of her prophetic dream flashed through her mind. She bit her lip, deciding that she wouldn't say anything about it.

"Do you have any idea where that magician might be Chali?" Sakura asked, her voice scratchy from the lack of water. She bent down over the water fountain and took a long drink.

"Downtown probably. He's been dere every time he's attacked." Chalandra paused and faced the road leading to downtown, "Is it just me or is everyone asleep? I passed a night club on da way here and dere was people snoozing by da doors and on da sidewalks. I tried kicking one but dey wouldn't wake up."

"Wei was still asleep when Sakura called me." Syaoran stated, waiting patiently for Sakura to finish drinking at the fountain. Finally she raised her head and let Syaoran have access to the fountain.

"My father and Touya were asleep. Even Kero was asleep! He passed out right on top of me!" Sakura added to Syaoran's earlier statement, brushing a few wisps of stray hairs behind her ears.

'_I don't think I've ever seen her with her hair up like that. God, she looks beautiful.'_ Syaoran thought to himself, peering over at her as he drank from the fountain. Immediately Sakura blushed and Syaoran realised his mistake.

"Thank you." She replied quietly, her cheeks burning a fiery red.

'_I've got to stop thinking!'_ Syaoran exclaimed in his head, mentally smacking himself.

"Dat's alright cute-Syaoran. Secretly she loves being flattered, especially by you." Chali said, grinning madly. Sakura almost stumbled downwards and Syaoran was ready to drown himself in the water fountain. Chalandra exploded into a fit of hiccupping laughter.

After getting that out of her system, Chalandra headed out in the direction of downtown Tomoeda with Sakura and Syaoran closely trailing behind. They followed Chalandra through a series of lanes and alleyways so they could remain visually unnoticed and stay in the shade. Chalandra leaped from garbage can to cardboard box gracefully to keep her mind off the lamentable fate of the two teens following behind her.

Syaoran wiped the sweat from his brow for the 1000th time and continued walking at a steady pace beside Sakura. He gazed sidelong at her and drank in her stunning features. Of course she was sweaty, a little red in the face and slightly dishevelled but Syaoran really didn't care all that much. Her beauty was enough to distract him from it all.

Sakura eventually caught him staring at her as they turned onto Hiro street and he turned away quickly. Sakura placed her hand on his shoulder and he turned his head back to her excessively slow.

"Is something the matter?" Sakura asked, looking straight into his gorgeous amber eyes.

"I-I-…no. It's nothing." He stammered uncomfortably.

"He was just admiring you beauty and you caught him in da act." Chalandra called out from in front of them, sniffing the air casually as if she had done nothing wrong. It was Syaoran this time that almost fell over.

"It's like she knows exactly what is going on in our heads!" Sakura cried out, steadying Syaoran back onto his feet. Syaoran ran his hand down his sweaty face and felt the rough stubble along his firm jaw line. _'Crap! I should have shaved!'_

"You shave?!" Sakura exclaimed out loud, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Mm hmm." Syaoran replied half-heartedly, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

"My brother doesn't even shave! Oh boy, that would make him angry, knowing that you are more of a man that he is, even when you're six years younger than him!" Sakura couldn't help but laugh. Even Syaoran let out a few snickers, surprisingly. The turned onto Tanaka Street and felt the sun beat down in them as they stepped into the light.

"Shield!" Sakura shouted, releasing her staff and the card. It formed around the three teens, blocking at least half of the sun's harmful rays.

"I don't know how long I can hold it but I'll try for as long as I can." Sakura said through gritted teeth.

"You need to save your power to destroy this force." Syaoran said urgently. Sakura flashed him a weary glance, "Jump on my back if you think it will help you conserve your energy." Sakura nodded and hoisted herself onto his back, clasping her hands loosely around his neck. Syaoran held her thighs with his large hands, finding the added warmth actually comfortable, much to his surprise.

The skin where Syaoran held her thighs tingled and she got that odd rush of sensual excitement that ran through her veins like an electric shock. She barely managed to muffle an excited cry that almost escaped her parched lips.

They finally reached the water fountain that marked the middle of downtown Tomoeda. It ran noisily, metal against metal grinding against each other painfully, screeching in the ears of the three teens. There was no water for the machinery to pump since the water had evaporated and disappeared into the humid waves of air. The three teens quickly walked around the fountain and paused in the shade of a building.

"I don't have da slightest idea where he is hiding. He's got to be here! I can feel his power everywhere!" Chalandra mumbled, frowning sourly and rubbing her tired, red eyes. Syaoran closed his eyes and searched his brain for a spell that might possibly help them into finding the culprit of this temperate mess.

"Sakura, I'm going to set you down alright?" Syaoran said quietly, slowly letting go of her thighs and sat her down on the ground. Her eyes were still closed in deep concentration. Syaoran released his sword and held it out in front of him, its sharp tip pointing upwards. His right hand gripped the hilt of his jian tightly, knowing that the force of the spell he was about to cast could very well blast it right out if his hands. He closed his eyes and centred his thoughts on the spell, the accuracy of the challenging words and the art of manoeuvring the power at the right times. He took a deep breath and steadied himself on his feet. He began in a low monotone chant in his native tongue.

"Wind of the dragon, lend me your breath, locate the source of this evil magic that threatens the innocent, that wants us dead. Find him and reveal his placement to me!" As he repeated the chant, Chalandra found herself staring anxiously and curiously as he worked this spell in his language. The swift articulation of his words sounded so sweet to the ears that it was enough to enchant the listener.

Sakura lifted the Shield, sensing that was what Syaoran wanted. She was right because the spell would have backfired on them if she hadn't revoked the magical barrier. In a blindingly fast movement, Sakura watched as Syaoran swung his sword forward and a rigorous tremor of power rippled through the air, coming from the tip if his blade. It muted every sight and sound and a complete silence covered the whole country of Japan. Everything that could still move moved in slow motion; Sakura felt as if she was stuck in a pool a molasses. She moved her eyes over to Chalandra and watched her battle against herself, stuck in the same predicament Sakura was in as she tried to move her paw. Sakura's vision began to swim as the heat waves travelled through the thick air unnaturally slow, obscuring everything around her. She turned her eyes back to Syaoran, feeling as if it had been an eternity since she had last laid her eyes on him. A feeling of nausea washed over her and she barely managed to swallow the bile that threatened to rise in her throat.

Sakura watched Syaoran turn around effortlessly, obviously immune to the effects of his own spell. He gazed into Sakura's eyes with a desperate longing. Inside his mind, he craved to feel her lips against his, her body pressed against him, her hair in between his fingers. _'If only'_

Syaoran regained his thoughts and began to feel his spell return to him. He smiled and opened his mouth to speak. His voice cut through the silence like a sharp knife. It stung Sakura and Chalandra's ears after being in the silence for what seemed like forever.

"Here it comes."

**c**

**Omg Finally! Fanfiction hasnt been letting me post this chapter and Ive been trying since Saturday! Ahhh! But now I finally have the first part of chapter 20 up and I hope you enjoy it. **

**Thanks to Sayoko's-Fire (well I triple dog dare you to review this chapter), Boheme ( 3 you!), lil wolf lover ( 3 you too!), Tam-chan ( 3 you three), cherushiichan (your question is about to be answered), Yami Umi (hahah I got a good laugh reading your review), Miss-Redi (I lived in Manchester when I was young. I was born there and I lived there until I was ten), Sakura-cha (yes Im very happy you reviewed) and SnowCharms (learn to spell my dear).**

**Ive been really busy lately. For the next week and all of last week Ive been singing in the play Dracula and I have all the soloist parts and wow...its seriously soooo crazy. Ive been trying to keep up on the chapters in between my singing down in the pit. I'll get the second part of chapter 20 posted as soon as i posibly can.**

**Thank you all dearly. I hope you all read the Cast memo. I was up all night one night so I wrote this and I hope that you enjoyed it. If you didn't read it I want you to do that right now. Remember, reviews must be up to 200 by the time Chapter 20 ends. Three more opportunities to review! Do it and I'll love you!!!!!!!!**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	23. Chapter 20 Part 2

**Chapter 20: Part 2 – The Middle of Chapter 20…for a lack of a better title!**

…**Saturday…**

There was a surge of energy coming their way, Sakura knew that for sure. What she didn't know was the intensity of the force as she heard the distant rumble augment into an almost deafening sound of a freight train. Sakura didn't have enough time to cover her ears as she watched in terror as the power drove towards her, Chalandra and Syaoran.

Syaoran braced himself for the main impact and held his breath. The energy dived for him at a phenomenally fast pace, causing Syaoran to panic. With the last ounce of common sense he could squeeze out of himself, Syaoran swung his sword out in front of him and prayed silently, screwing his eyes shut.

Sakura watched helplessly as the surging wave of power enveloped Syaoran. She screamed out his name and ran towards him, though she was still stuck in the slow motion time frame. She could barely see Syaoran inside the barrier of power but she could see his silhouette on his knees. With a burst of effort, he swung his sword out in front of him like he did before and the wave exploded outwards again with a loud, ear-splitting bang. Sakura was flung backwards and she smashed the back of her head on the sidewalk.

"Sakura!" Syaoran cried out, getting up off his knees and running towards her unconscious body on the ground. Chalandra peeled herself off the wall of a building she had been thrown against and ran towards the both of them, free of the slow motion time boundaries. Chalandra quickly pulled a little tine of liquid out of the pouch on her side and spun off the top. Syaoran pulled Sakura into a semi-sitting position and cradled her limp form in his arms. Chalandra made one of her claws disappear, wetted her now humanoid finger with the concoction and dabbed it onto Sakura's temples and the bump forming at the back of her head. The elixir smelt of herbs and a strong alcohol but it seemed to do the trick because the swelling at the back of her head started to disappear and the expression of pain on Sakura's face softened. She mumbled something and Syaoran sighed with relief and thanked Chalandra with a grateful, lopsided smile. But unsurprisingly, the mood was broken by a massive explosion on a roof not far from where they were. Syaoran grunted happily and lifted Sakura upwards, holding her in his arms bridal style. Chalandra began bounding towards the massive cloud of oddly coloured blue-ish smoke. Syaoran ran behind the feline with the girl of his dreams, limp in his arms.

"Quick! It was up on top of dis building!" Chalandra shouted urgently, starting to climb up the apartment building. She swung gracefully from balcony to balcony until she reached the fire escape ladder around the fifth floor. She raced up the stairs, eyeing the smoke incredulously.

Syaoran relied on only his skill to jump upward onto the second floor balcony with Sakura in his arms. He leaped onto the rail of the third floor balcony, steadying himself and then onto the next floor balcony diagonally above him. He reached the fire escape and with another lengthy sigh of relief, he chased after Chalandra who was already on the 11th floor.

He reached the top of the building close behind Chalandra and examined the fresh, still smoking scorch marks on the roof.

"Damn it! Where is he?" Chalandra exclaimed, barring her sharp fangs.

"He fled." Syaoran replied flatly. Chali growled angrily.

"What kind of spell did you do anyway?"

"A location spell, well a violent one at that. I sent out a fairly weak locating wave of energy which he shielded himself from. It returned to me and he probably assumed that my next attack would be weaker so he let down his defence and when I let go of that last attack, it blew him right out of the sky. He's probably too weak to attack at the moment." Syaoran replied, staring down at Sakura. She was beginning to come around and relaxed into Syaoran's arms.

"Hey." Syaoran said, a tone of huskiness in his voice he didn't realize had escaped his lips. Sakura stared up at him and smiled weakly.

"What happened?" She asked, the frailty of her speech caused him to shiver.

"My spell was a little bit stronger than I expected it would be. It knocked you out." Syaoran replied sheepishly, his voice laced with guilt.

"Is Chali alright?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Yeah I'm alright. I just got smashed against a wall because of his stupid spell-"

"Sakura!" A soft but stabbingly urgent voice shouted from above. Sakura's moon guardian landed down beside Syaoran and stared at the both of them intently, "What in Clow's name happened?"

"He attacked, the magician, with heat this time." Sakura said, staring up at Yue with tired, disoriented eyes.

"You have do stop dis spell before it starts melting dings, like me! Do you dink you are up to it?" Chalandra asked, padding over to Sakura and then standing on her hind legs so she could make eye contact. Yue stared at her curiously.

"You're one of those feline gypsies aren't you" Yue asked, his face showing a slightly interested expression.

"Yes. In fact I am." Chalandra faced Yue proudly and flicked some of her dread locks behind her back. Yue raised an eyebrow, "But I'm not da one you should be worried about. Poor Sakura smacked her head and doesn't look like she has enough energy to capture this spell," Chalandra stared over at Syaoran and jabbed her clawed thumb over in his direction, "No thanks to dumbass over here."

"Sorry!" Syaoran exclaimed in his defence, "I found him didn't I? And I toasted his little wizard robes too. I just didn't realize how powerful my spell was going to be…" The four of them were too busy to notice Orion get to his feet behind one of the radiators and direct a rather reproachful glare in Syaoran's direction. He lamely snuck back to his apartment and rid himself of the clothes he was wearing because they were singed and slightly smoking. He pulled out a cigarette and took a deep drag, letting some of his stress release itself with the smoke he exhaled. Summoning most of the remaining strength he could muster, he whipped his hand violently in front of him and the temperature suddenly got a whole lot hotter.

**c**

**THANK YOUUUU FOR THE REVIEWS! IM SO HAPPPY!**

**Super thanks to...**

**Boheme**

**cherushiichan**

**Queen of Pink (for the 22 reviews! love!)**

**Alex**

**Yami Umi**

**Tam-Chan (thanks for all the extra reviews! love!)**

**Mew Frost + Asmi Lover**

**Miss.Redi**

**lil wolf lover**

**Sakura-cha**

**I know this was a short chapter but I promise the conclusion to chapter 20 will be...explosive. Muahaha. **

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	24. Chapter 20 Part 3

**Chapter 20: Part 3 – An Explosive End**

…**Still Saturday…**

"Well if it wasn't for this stupid magician we wouldn't be stuck-" Syaoran choked on the words in his mouth as a wave of throttling heat dropped onto them like a 500 ton weight. Chalandra stumbled backwards and caught the railing but quickly snatched her paw away when it bent under her weight.

"What da hell?" Chalandra's gasped, the air so hot and thick that she could barely breathe it in. Yue tried to remain calm and consoled but the discomfort was obvious on his handsome face. In front of them all heat waves appeared, blurring the images all around them.

"I guess you didn't finish him off." Sakura whispered, now standing beside Syaoran and clinging onto his arm. Syaoran turned to face her and grimaced.

"You have to stop this. Are you up to it?" Syaoran stared deeply into her eyes. Sakura closed them and nodded slowly.

"I'll need your help." Sakura stumbled slightly but Syaoran kept her steady on her feet. Syaoran nodded and Sakura pulled out one of her cards.

"Watch out!" Chalandra screamed. The roof's building was beginning to melt and Syaoran and Sakura were sinking into the roof's surface like quicksand. Yue leaped from his place of the softening roof and swooped down to grab them both. He grabbed Syaoran and Sakura as quickly as he could and picked them up right before the roof collapsed before their feet, oozing like melted mozzarella cheese. By then, Chalandra had sprung from where the railing was now a gooey puddle of metal and she travelled downwards as fast as she could without burning the sensitive pads on her paws on the smouldering metal stairs.

Yue landed on a patch of grass a few meters away from the building and let Syaoran and Sakura out of his grasp. They watched anxiously as Chalandra scampered across the sinking sidewalk and the bubbling asphalt on the road.

"Look at all da damage being done!" Chalandra wheezed, gasping for the barely existing oxygen, "You have to do someding before anyone gets hurt." Chali knew she had struck a cord when she said this because Sakura suddenly perked up and adopted a determined expression on her face.

"Alright," Sakura began closing her eyes. She pulled out The Freeze and threw it into the air, "Stop all the melting for as long as you can!" She struck it with her staff and watched the creature envelope Tomoeda with coldness. But even as she watched it work, she could feel the warmth filter through.

"Hold the Freeze for as long as you can and when you let it go, we'll attack it as it rushes back in." Syaoran whispered, his voice so raspy he could barely talk. Sakura nodded her head and held her staff in front of her. Syaoran poised himself behind her and he took a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" Syaoran asked. Sakura turned her head and stared back at him, her face barely centimetres from his. She ignored the longing in her heart and just nodded.

"On the count of three. One. Two. Three!" Sakura released the Freeze from its duties and the heat spell rushed down onto Tomoeda again.

"Mysterious force I bring you to thy end! Defuse your magic and disintegrate!" An ivory light pulsated from Sakura's staff and it shot up towards the heat wave, engulfing it like a grasping hand. Orion watched sourly from his balcony.

"No way. I won't let you win against me again." Orion scowled and began sculpting a ball of fiery energy in his palm. He slowly made it grow bigger until he was satisfied that it had the potential to blow Syaoran's head off. With a callous grin, he grabbed a handful of the inferno and aimed it at the source of the ivory stem of power.

**c**

"Chalandra!" Yue exclaimed, barely seconds before Yue pushed her out of harm's way. A fireball smashed into the ground when Chali had been just moments ago, charring the green grass.

"Here comes some more!" Chalandra got up off the ground and poised herself in a ready position. Yue stood beside her and eyed her with keen interest. Everything about the feline girl astounded him, much to his own surprise.

"Bring it on foolish magician." Chalandra grinned mischievously, her sharp teeth glinting in the morning sun. Another fireball was hurtling towards her and she wasted no time throwing an energy ball of her own. It smashed into the inferno and exploded. Sparks rained down onto the concrete.

"Take that stupid magician!"" She exclaimed happily and threw another ball at an oncoming target. Yue decided to help her but he couldn't help watching her from the corner of his eye.

**c**

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked Sakura through his mind. Sakura nodded slowly and shuddered. Syaoran snaked his arm further around her waist and held her hand on her staff with his other. The spell was progressing successfully but the heat was putting up a good fight, causing both of them to lose a lot of needed energy. The heat was a lot stronger than Syaoran initially thought but he could begin to feel their progress. The temperature had dropped immensely but it was still very hot, around 36 c. The sun somehow seemed to look a lot farther away then it had that morning. Syaoran tried to ignore his suspicion about it and concentrated on trying to help Sakura destroy the heat force.

**c**

"KY-AHH!" Chalandra shouted wildly, performing a Matrix style flip, taking out two fireballs and taking out another one she had dodged on the way down. Yue struck two more of them using his usual spell, throwing shards of ice.

"Oh come on. You've got to have some more interesting spells den dat!" Chalandra said, challenging him while taking out another pyroball. Yue grunted and materialized his bow and arrow. He shot one right into the core of a fiery missile and it immediately shrivelled into a ball of disappearing smoke.

"Bo-ring!" Chali taunted, flashing him an uncanny grin. Yue scowled slightly and glared at Chalandra.

"Fine." Yue replied snobbishly, turning his nose upwards and away from the smiling feline girl. He turned back to the oncoming missiles and moved his arms out to the side, his palms facing away from him. In one smooth movement, he moved his arms together in front of him, his hands making two arcs of platinum light as they moved. The two arcs merged into one and Yue grabbed it with his right hand. He swung the staff of light his head and crashed it down upon a ball of fire causing the pyroball to implode upon itself. Chalandra watched eagerly, barely dodging another sphere of fire.

"Impressive but watch dis!" Chalandra muttered a few words to herself and then clapped her hands together. There was a whoosh of wind and all the balls of fire that were coming towards her smacked into each other and disappeared. Yue raised a sculpted eyebrow.

"You are very skilled Chalandra. Did you learn all this from your mother?" Yue asked, facing her.

"I learnt most of my magic from my grandmoder and my teacher. My moder got sick before I could start my teachings." Chalandra replied, her tone sombre. They were too deep in conversation to notice that the small fireballs had stopped and one massive pyroball was hurtling towards Sakura and Syaoran at a very fast pace.

Syaoran had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach and he turned his head just in time to see the huge energy ball flying towards him and Sakura. He squeezed Sakura tightly in his arms and pulled her tightly to his body to keep her from harm and waited for the impact. It never came.

**c**

Back in Syaoran's apartment, his voicemail machine was blinking furiously. On the little information screen, the number written there was clearly from somewhere in Hong Kong…

**c**

**So comes the conclusion of chapter 20. Did you guys like it? I did! Muahaha. I feel so evil leaving you guys all on a cliffy.**

**Thanks to...**

**Tam-Chan**

**Chibbi-Ubba (Thank you for them all)**

**cherushiichan**

**Syaoko's Fire**

**Yami Umi**

**Miss Redi**

**Shimo and Umi**

**lil wolf lover**

**sailorInu1**

**Boheme**

**Thank you all and I hope to hear from you on this chapter. I want to know how you guys liked it!**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	25. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Destiny Revealed**

**Saturday Afternoon…**

Wei stumbled out of his bed, woken up by his buzzing intercom. He crawled out of bed and answered it with a tired greeting.

"Wei-kun! The Card Mistress and the Li Clan heir are unconscious down here. You have to comer help me before anyone sees them!" Good friend and Judo master Kenji exclaimed, down in the apartment lobby, looking rather roughened.

"What? Okay I'll be right down." Wei grabbed his keys and ran out of his door. He slid into the elevator and waited impatiently for it to reach ground level. He found Kenji standing in the lobby, looking a little distraught.

"Quick! They're out here." Kenji exclaimed, running outside with Wei hot on his heels. There was no one around save a few sleeping bodies out on the streets. It was almost eerie to Wei who was staring around nervously, as if he expected something to pop up for him. Kenji brought his out across the street and up a block and then he ran over to a patch of scorched grass. There laid Sakura and Syaoran, their limbs entangled in a desperate embrace, and Yukito and a feline-human creature, all out like a light. Kenji swung Yukito over his shoulder and Chalandra under his arm, finding her unnaturally light. Wei grabbed Sakura and Syaoran and they ran off down the street, across the oddly sticky asphalt and then into the apartment building's elevator. They had almost reached Wei's floor when the elevator stopped at one below it. The doors opened to reveal a crusty looking old woman who eyed the six of them incredulously through her heavily wrinkled eyes.

"Kids these days, getting drunk all the time." The woman muttered with disgust as the doors closed again. Kenji and Wei exchanged glances.

When they finally reached Wei's apartment, he opened the door he had forgotten to lock and set the four unconscious teens down in the living room. Kenji eyed the massive wound on Syaoran's arm with a grim visage. His skin had been charred away leaving raw flesh all around his shoulder and arm. Wei searched his closet for some gauze and when he came out with a roll in hand he caught sight of a clock and almost swallowed his tongue when he saw the time. _'2:00?! How can it be 2:00 already?' _Wei marched into the living room and pointed towards the clock.

"Have you seen the time?" He exclaimed wildly. Kenji looked up from the gruesome gash on Syaoran and nodded his head.

"I saw it when I woke up. That magician that has been tormenting the Clow Mistress and Master Li put us under some sort of sleeping spell. When I woke from my slumber, all I could smell around me was black magic." Kenji dug something out of his pocket and handed it to Wei, "It's not good news but when I browsed the records I found this. It might be helpful to the Clow Mistress and Master Li." Wei nodded and opened the envelope slowly. He pulled out a photocopy of what looked like and archived leather bound records book. He scanned his eyes over the information. It was something about a massive lightning storm that claimed almost 600 casualties during the 1950's in Prague.

"What does this have to do with the magician?" Wei asked, frowning deeply.

"Keep reading my friend." Kenji replied before pacing across the room. Wei brought his eyes back down to the page.

'**_The tragedy was claimed to be caused by the most ruthless magician of that time period. A master shape shifter, he slipped through the city's gates in search of the black sapphire which was said to give infinite power to its owner. Clow Reed, creator of the Clow Cards is said to have relations with the spell bound jewel. The magician unleashed a massive storm of lighting to destroy all those who stood in the way between him and the black sapphire. Search Magician Orion for more details, page 667.'_** Wei's face darkened as he read the name. He dragged his eyes from the page and stared up at Kenji with miserable panic.

"When I flipped to page 667 I found that the page had been ripped out. That's the only other reference of him I could find in the records library in England."

"You know that this is the same man that killed…him." Wei whispered, his voice stricken with graveness and guilt, "If I had taken that last shot I could have saved-"

"Don't think about it my friend. It was a long time ago. Who else is fit enough for the job as Master Syaoran's guardian? He is the key to the lock of the power balance in this world should he choose to accept it. Of course, only of he chooses to follow his dreams instead of following orders."

"You know it's not that easy Kenji-kun. His family needs him at home as well."

"Yes but he cannot do anything but heal the sick and count money until he gives into the will of time if he chooses to become the leader of the Li Clan. But things can be different my friend! If he chooses to invoke the sacred vows of eternal matrimony with the mistress of the Clow, a balance in the world will be made! The magical imbalance in the world would cease to subsist and the inequality of good and evil could very well be obliterated out of existence!"

"I know but-"

"Think of it this way my friend. You know very well it will be another millennium before the world is blessed with another couple who have the power to end the quarrel with the foe! For all we know, the world might not even exist by the time that moment rolls around. You've subsided in telling him his destiny all his life. The moment is upon us to help him make the decision! Do you not see the light of your position my friend?"

"I-I…yes I do but still. I cannot help but feel as if I am betraying the mistress of the Li Clan."

"Do not feel that way for it is not you who will make the final decision for him in the end. But you can help it along and lead him on the right path of destiny! You can start by deleting the message the mistress of the Li Clan left you on your answering machine." Wei raised his eyebrows and glanced over at his answering machine. Sure enough, the voicemail alert was blinking furiously. Wei walked over to the machine and pressed the voicemail button.

"Good morning," Yelan began in her native tongue, "I will be waiting at Hong Kong International tomorrow evening for you after you depart from Japan. I'll call you later on today to make sure you received this message. I'm looking forward to seeing you. Farewell." Wei stared blankly at the machine. He knew very well what he had to do but he was pretty sure he didn't have enough willpower to disobey Li Yelan. To contravene the Li Clan mistress, even after all the favours she had blessed him with, even after forgiving him for her husbands death. Watching Syaoran grow, Wei was forced to watch the striking resemblance in both appearance and personality between Syaoran and his father who haunted his every dream. He saw his trademark defensive anger in Syaoran when loved ones were in danger and that tousled chestnut brown hair that was always unruly and untamed. He saw the undying devotion for their lovers in him and those piercing amber eyes that could stare with such intensity that you felt as if you were the only human left on earth. It killed Wei to watch Syaoran grow up, knowing that it was he who deprived him of a father. Just thinking about Master Xiao Lang Sr. tortured Wei from the inside out knowing that it was he that could have saved him.

"Just press the button," Kenji said, urging him on, praying silently that he would choose the right choice. With a grim visage, Wei raised his finger and pressed down on the button, deleting the message forever.

"See? It wasn't that hard my dear friend." Kenji put a comforting hand on Wei's shoulder, "Sometimes you must be a villain in the eyes of some to be the hero in the eyes of more. Your decision will one day reward you."

Wei looked into his living room at the group of unconscious young adults on the floor. His eyes went from Syaoran to Sakura and then back to Syaoran again.

"I hope so. Who knows what evil they have in store."

**c**

**Oh dear. _cough_. I'm sick._ cough._ I HATE being sick. _cough. _Stupid flu. **

**Anyway, big thanks to...**

**Yami Umi**

**lil wolf lover**

**Tam-chan**

**SailorInu1**

**Shimo and Umi**

**Sayoko's-Fire**

**Miss.Redi (soo cool! you are the first person to address me as Bronte! I love that!)**

**Boheme**

**cherushiichan**

**kiseki gurl**

**ellabell**

**SnowCharms**

**RuShI-LoVe-StAr **

**(omg that was soo hard to firgure out, being sick and all. this probably took me like...10 minutes)**

**Hopefully this big info chapter cleared some things up. Such as the fact that no one from Hong Kong stopped that fireball and that Yelan left a message on Syao's voicemail. Something or someone else stopped that fireball. Who stopped it you ask? Find out next time on...All Along. teehee. That sounds like a soap-opera. I couldn't resist. **

**love and fluff -_cough_-, Bronte**


	26. Chapter 22

This is the incredible Tsubasa Res. cross-over chapter. Love it or hate it, its another lovely twist to my already twisted plot.

**Chapter 22: Only Time Will Tell**

**Saturday Afternoon…**

Sakura's head was throbbing as she began to rouse from her slumber. She cracked open her eyes and gazed around at her surroundings. _'Syaoran's apartment? How did I get here…' _She pulled herself into a sitting position and it occurred to her that there were two voices conversing in the kitchen. They spoke in hushed tones so Sakura really had to strain to hear what they were saying.

"-wasn't that hard my dear friend," An unfamiliar voice spook in comforting tones, "Sometimes you must be a villain in the eyes of some to be the hero in the eyes of more. Your decision will one day reward you." Sakura heard footsteps in the kitchen and she quickly laid down and closed her eyes. She didn't want to look as if she had been eavesdropping. She opened her eyes a slit, just enough to see, and saw Wei and an older looking gentleman standing along side of him. His hair was thin and light grey with speckles of darker greys hidden among. His face was gently lined with wrinkles that expressed his wizened age, especially around his clear blue almond eyes. He wore a traditional looking outfit and he bore an odd symbol hanging from a chain around his neck. It was a symbol of a circle with interconnecting bonds, all of them connecting in the middle.

Wei and the unfamiliar guest turned around and delved deeper into the kitchen. Sakura fully opened her eyes and looked around. _'Yukito and Chali look alright, thank god. But where is…SYAORAN!_' Sakura jumped off the couch when she caught sight of Syaoran, looking paler than a ghost, and the ghastly wound on his arm and ran to his side, ignoring her dizzy, swimming head. Sakura picked up Syaoran's arm and rested it in her lap. She ran her fingers millimetres overtop of the sweltering burn and felt her body begin to pulsate with power that had returned to her during her brief rest. The Mend Card floated out of her carrying case.

"Help me heal him." Sakura whispered quietly to the Card, not taking her eyes off Syaoran. The Mend dissolved into a powder blue mist that surrounded Sakura, soaking into her skin. She let the Card guide her as she held her hand overtop of his horrible burn. Blue and green sparks of zealous energy danced busily overtop of his injury, binding together Syaoran's skin like hasty fingers of a weaving loom. Sakura watched herself work with amazement. Having the power to heal was rather empowering to Sakura and when she was finished, she ran her slender fingers over his smooth arm, the burn not even leaving a scratch.

"Holy shit!" Sakura snapped her neck around and witnessed Chalandra staring wildly at her, "Since when could you do that?"

"About two weeks ago. I made the Card." Sakura replied tiredly, picking up the card and holding it in her palms.

"Wow." Chalandra stated with amazement, grooming herself and licking her paws. There was a noise in the kitchen and Chalandra immediately froze. Wei and the other man appeared in the doorway. "GAH!" Chalandra's eyes widened to the size of plates from panic and in frenzy she turned back into her humanoid disguise but a whisker still poked out of her cheek. The man who stood beside Wei began to laugh gleefully.

"You don't have to panic and hide Chalandra, my dear. I am fully aware of all your powers and capabilities." The man said with a friendly smile.

"What is your name?" Sakura asked, giving into her curiosity. The man straightened and eyed Sakura with admiration.

"My name is Hirojisaka Kenji. I am a friend and ally to you and your epic ordeal of magic. I am one of the members of the Circle."

"Circle?"

"You'll learn about it soon enough Card Mistress. Soon enough." Kenji flashed her a mysterious smirk which reminded her of Eriol, "By the way, wonderful healing job," He said, walking over to inspect Syaoran's arm, "Not even a scratch." He smiled slyly and began to walk towards the door. He gave Wei a quick nod and exited the building. Sakura turned her eyes back to Syaoran and cradled his head in her lap. The curve of his lips twisted upwards, a small smile creeping onto his face in peaceful slumber.

**c**

Yukito woke with a start and opened his eyes timidly. He was lying upon the ground, his head lolled to one side. He blinked away the sunshine in his eyes and gazed at Sakura and Chalandra. Though he had not met Chalandra before, he knew very well who she was thanks to his alternate form. He watched silently, watching Sakura who was resting with her eyes closed while Syaoran slept peacefully in her lap. Wei was the first to acknowledge his consciousness and came over to help him to his feet.

"I'm glad you've risen to join us my friend. I'm sorry to say I am not acquainted with you." Wei said, pulling Yukito up into an upright position. Yukito sat down on the closest couch to him in the living room and smiled at the older man.

"I'm Tsukishiro Yukito." Yukito said as cheerfully as he could though he felt he could pass out at any moment.

"I'm Syaoran's guardian Huang Wei. Pleased to meet you." Wei replied. Chalandra glided across the floor and stopped at Yukito's feet and she stared up at him for a moment.

"Hello Snow Rabbit. You're almost as cute as your other being." Chalandra grinned and propped herself onto his lap and stared him right in the face. After a moment of two her grin got wider, "You know what? I think I approve of you." With that, she hoped off of Yukito and disappeared into the kitchen. Yukito glanced over at Wei with raised eyebrows and Wei shrugged at him. They both wore matching expressions of confusion.

**c**

The first thing Syaoran felt as he came to was the feathery caress on his cheek. Another hand was playing with his hair, twirling it with its fingers. He shifted his head and realized his head was lying upon something. He could here voices but they sounded so far off but in a rush, they were thrown closer and they assaulted his ears. His eyes fluttered open.

"Syaoran!" Sakura's innocent voice exclaimed. He groaned and then smiled. Though his body felt as if it were made of lead and his head was throbbing, he couldn't help but feel his soul uplift as he heard her voice. He could barely see anything with his eyes open so he just closed them again.

"Oh my gosh! Syaoran are you alright?" Sakura exclaimed. Syaoran could feel himself falling out of consciousness again but fought it. _'Oh Sakura. What happened back there?'_ Syaoran asked thought his mind. Sakura stroked his cheek and replied silently.

'_You saved me Syaoran. I don't know how you did it but you did.'_

'_What?'_

'_The fireball hit you and there was a massive explosion. Then there was this like, rush of energy and somehow I destroyed the force. The fireball burnt away a lot of your arm and shoulder but I passed out before I could help you.'_ Syaoran relaxed his head on Sakura's lap and released his sore, tensed muscles. He ached everywhere, _'Then what happened to my arm?'_

'_I healed it. You looked so sick when I first saw you! Oh Syaoran, I was so scared! I didn't know if I was strong enough to heal you.'_ Sakura cupped his cheek and ran her thumb up and down his stubble affectionately, _'I don't know what I would have done without you Syaoran.. I don't think I would have been able to survi-'_ With a newfound burst of strength, Syaoran raised himself and turned to face Sakura. He held her face with one hand, cupping her cheek just like she had been doing to him. His eyes were still closed but he could still see her in front of him, somehow, clear as crystal. She shone out of the darkness that clouded his vision like a beacon, there to light his way. He felt a pang in his heart as he saw the expression of worry and fear on her face.

'_Don't say anything like that. For as long as you need me I'll be here to protect you, whether I'm dead or alive.'_ Syaoran watched the tears that had welled up in Sakura's eyes stream down her cheeks. She flung herself at Syaoran and he held her closely, feeling her heart beat against his. Their beating hearts felt oddly in tune with each other.

As Sakura bawled into Syaoran's chest, Syaoran desperately tried to open his eyes and see something. His vision was blurry and dark and he could only see barely a smidgeon of light out of one eye. He couldn't see a thing out of his right. It felt so awkward, as if his vision was under the murky waters in the ocean, the concentrated salt burning his eyes away.

Sakura slowly pulled away and gazed up at Syaoran's face which was masked with confusion. His eyes were still closed. _'Syaoran, what's the matter with your eyes?' _

'_I don't know I can't see anything with them open and I can only see you when they're closed.'_

'_What?!'_

'_I can see you just fine right now but when I open my eyes I can barely see a thing!'_ Syaoran opened his eyes to prove a point and he heard Sakura gasp, _'What's the matter?'_

'_Syaoran., y-your eyes…There's something wrong with them!'_

'_What do you mean?'_

'_Your right eye is…its white and your left is kind of greyish…_'

'_Oh god…'_ Syaoran closed his eyes again and saw the expression of Sakura's face. It was tear streaked and laced with panic and terror. She pulled out a card from her pocket and grabbed her staff which was laying beside her. _'What card is that?' _Sakura looked up at Syaoran with amazement.

'_It's the Mend. I'm going to try and fix your eyes.' _

'_You already healed my arm. You can't use up anymore of your energy trying to help me!' _

'_Syaoran! I'm going to help you no matter what you have to say against it!'_ With that said, she released the Mend and just as before, it enveloped her in a bluish light. She held his face in her hands and gazed deep into his damaged eyes, her retina's light blue instead of green. She moved her face as close as she could to Syaoran's and continued to stare directly into Syaoran's dilated, foggy pupils. His eyes began to tingle as she worked on them, powder blue sparks dancing from her fingertips, across his cheeks and onto the surface of his once amber eyes. Sakura gritted her teeth, feeling the energy being sucked out of her as she worked her magic. His left eye was improving but his right was still a ghostly, foggy white. She concentrated her magic on his right eye but it seemed too stubborn to recover.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Syaoran said out loud, holding her steady by the shoulders as she released the Mend. The spirit left her body and she relaxed onto Syaoran, panting heavily.

'_I'm alright. Just really tired. How are your eyes?'_ Syaoran blinked a few times and realized that his eyesight was almost perfect again in the left but there was no improvement in his right. His vision was almost completely black.

'_It's fine in the left but I'm still blind in the right.'_ Sakura slowly lifted her head off of Syaoran's shoulder and stared into his eyes.

'_I'll cast the Illusion on your eye. It'll make it look normal even when you eye is closed.' _

'_Are you sure? Are you going to be able to support the card until my eye has healed?' _

'_I'll try. Syaoran, you have to have faith in me. I know you're worried about me but you have to trust me.'_ Syaoran looked away with shameful eyes and his hair fell over his face. He swallowed hard before he could reply.

'_I am worried about you. I'm here to protect you.'_ Sakura smiled and caressed his cheek with her hand and brought his face back to her and she stared into his one normal eye.

'_I'm glad you came back Syaoran. I don't know where I'd be without you._'

Neither teen were very aware of Wei, Yukito or Chalandra watching them with tender eyes from various parts of the room. Though Chalandra was the only one who could hear what was being said, they all knew roughly what was happening in the minds of the two pining teens.

It was only a matter of time until the moment came where their bonds of true love would be trialed and tested until they were stretched to unimaginable lengths. And from there, the fate of the world will rest on their shoulders. Of course, that would only be the case if they get that far. Only time will tell.

**c**

**Kyah! Chapter 22! I'm in too much of a rush to mention my lovely and most appreciated reviewers today but you guys know who you are and I loooove you. I hope you guys like the Tsubasa Res. cross-over (to non readers its the blindness in the right eye). It made for some glorious fluff. **

**The next chapter of this story will be released more later than sooner due to the Christmas holidays. But keep your eyes out for a Christmas special envolving my favourite couple. It'll be out sometime this week. **

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	27. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: A Matter of Time**

**Monday…**

"Ohayoo." Sakura greeted flatly when she entered the classroom on Monday morning. She sat down at her desk and rested her head on her arms and closed her eyes. She felt Syaoran's presence get closer and she called out to him through her mind, _'How are your eyes?'_ Sakura felt his aura waver and she could sense him smile before he replied.

'_I still can't see through my right eye but the Illusion is working just fine. Are you sure you want to keep fuelling it? I mean, I could just tell everyone I was in a fight or something.' _

'_Yeah right. Like anyone would want to fight you! You're the strongest and most intimidating guy in the whole school. Plus, everyone knows you're like, an insane karate jian judo whatever fighter.'_

Syaoran began to laugh inwardly, _'Hmm…That might dampen my story. But really Sakura, I can tell you're really tired. I don't want you to be exhausted if the magician strikes again.' _

'_I'm fine Syaoran. I-I just didn't sleep very well last night that's all.' _

'_You're a horrible liar.'_

'_That's because you can read my freaking thoughts!'_

'_Haha. I know.'_

'_Stop listening to my thoughts!'_

'_Okay.'_

'_Thank you.'_

'…'

'_I can tell you're still listening.'_

'_Oh Sakura…'_ Syaoran's aura flickered with laughter and Sakura's face reddened.

'_Stop laughing at me!'_

'_I'm sorry! You're just too much fun to laugh at!' _

'_Gah!'_ Sakura tried to block him out of her mind but somehow he snuck his way back into her thoughts. He entered the classroom with a playful smile on his features, his unruly hair framing his handsome face. Sakura looked up at him and stared into his eyes with a small smile playing on her rosy lips. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't stay mad at him.

"Good morning Sakura." He said, stopping at her desk, flashing her a wolfish grin.

"Stop it!" Sakura exclaimed, punching him decently hard in the arm though it didn't hurt Syaoran very much.

"Hey!" Syaoran yelped playfully, rubbing his arm as if it did hurt him. Today he looked more wolf-like then he ever had before. The rough stubble on his cheeks, his jutting chin and his piercing eyes glittered as he watched Sakura, making him a very happy person. Tomoyo watched them both from afar and smiled warmly. _'I guess there is some hope for them to hook up after all.' _With all the embarrassment and blushing going on, Tomoyo was afraid they'd never get over it. _'Laughing and playing is a good start.'_ Tomoyo thought happily with a matter-of-factly tone of thought/voice. _'I'll make sure it lasts for the festival this Wednesday. Sakura is going to look gorgeous and I'll make damn sure he won't be able to resist!' _

**c**

**Sunday Evening...**

Wei sat in his kitchen on a stool, his head resting in his hands. The past day played out before his eyes like one of those never-ending commercials, over and over again…

_**Syaoran had long fallen asleep in his room when Yelan called that Saturday night. Wei picked up the phone gingerly, his old hands trembling.**_

"_**Good evening, Li residence." Wei greeted tiredly, his eyes screwed shut.**_

"_**Good evening Wei. Are you well?" Yelan asked. Wei swallowed hard.**_

"_**I-I'm alright."**_

"_**That's good news to my ears. How is Syaoran doing?"**_

"_**Just fine." Wei replied nervously, conveniently forgetting to mention all the horrible injuries and battles he had endured.**_

"_**Are you two all packed and ready to return home? My brother is anxiously awaiting Syaoran's return. He wants to continue with his lessons."**_

"_**Ah…about that."**_

"_**Yes?" Yelan's tone of voice was sharp and assertive.**_

"_**I'm sorry Mrs. Li. He's chosen the other path of his destiny. We won't be returning anytime soon. I'm sorry Yelan." Before Yelan had any time to reply, Wei hung up and unplugged his phone. He collapsed into his chair and buried his face into his hands. A sense of grief and tiredness washed over him and he fell asleep.**_

**c**

**Saturday Night...**

Yelan hung up the phone that Saturday night, though very early Sunday morning in Hong Kong, her face blanched and blank and her eyes incensed. Fumie walked into the parlour and stood beside her mother staring up at her as Yelan gazed out into space.

"Mother, what on earth is the matter?" Fumie asked quietly, tugging on her mothers sleeve to try and get her attention. Without breaking her gaze Yelan opened her mouth to speak.

"He's chosen the other path. He's deserted us."

**c**

**Monday...**

Ryan sat on a bench during the lunch break and slowly ate his lunch in silence. He watched Sakura from afar, accompanied by Tomoyo, Syaoran and her little posse of friends. Ryan swallowed the urge to gag when he caught sight of Syaoran and amused himself by staring at Sakura. _'You gorgeous girl.'_ He grinned maliciously, _'Why, it will only be a matter of time my dear, only a matter of time.'_

**c**

The school bell rang and classes were dismissed in a flurry. Eager teenagers flooded into the halls, buzzing about the cherry blossom festival. Spring was the season of love and so the festival was the place to take the person you love most and confess your adoration for them under a cherry blossom tree. The tradition had been carried on for as long as anyone could remember. The legend had been passed along from grandmother to mother to daughter for many a year. Girls jittered about it every year, hoping that the person they loved most would lead them under the branches of a blossoming tree and tell them of their affections. The dance was always held a week before to start the romantic mood for the festival. Tomoyo knew the origins of the festival better than she knew the back or her hand and she was determined to get Sakura and Syaoran underneath a cherry blossom tree if it was the last thing she did.

Sakura and Tomoyo walked home together from school that afternoon. Tomoyo had invited her over for the final fitting of her kimono before the festival. Tomoyo giggled and chattered happily all the way home, excited out of her mind to see Sakura in her lascivious invention.

"Are you excited for the festival?" Tomoyo asked, hoping out in front of Sakura and skipping happily with her eyes glittering in the sun.

"Yes, I'm sure it will be fun." Sakura replied tiredly. Carrying the burden of the Illusion was taking a toll on her emotional well being.

"Sakura, tell me what happened over the weekend. You said the magician attacked again but you didn't explain and you look really tired. I'm worried about you." Tomoyo held her hand walked beside her.

"A lot of things happened but I really don't know for sure. I mean I was drained of all my energy and the memories are really vague in my mind. I know the magician attacked using heat this time and everyone was under a sleep spell, even Kero. I'm really worried about him. The magician altered the sun and Kero draws his power from the sun. He's been dragging himself around the house for the past few days and his happy yellow glow is gone. The damage from the magician melting the city was unbelievable. I cried when I heard what happened at the retirement community."

"What happened?" Tomoyo asked softly, squeezing Sakura's hand.

"Many of the elders suffocated from the heat in their homes and rooms. I felt awful."

"It wasn't your fault Sakura. Just be glad that you stopped it before there were anymore casualties."

"It was my fault though! If I were stronger and braver I could have stopped it earlier-"

"Don't say that Sakura! You are the bravest and most strongest person that I know! It isn't like you to be so sad." Tomoyo took Sakura's other hand in hers and held them tenderly; "A smile suits you best."

Sakura sighed and smiled slightly, "I know but I can't help but feel so guilty, with all this weight being rested on my shoulders."

"Syaoran has a lot of weight on his shoulders as well."

"What do you mean?"

"He's going to be the leader of his clan. His mother barely allowed this trip. She only allowed him to return to Japan because he was so miserable, moping around the house like a martyring ghost."

"D-does that mean he's going home soon?" Sakura looked crestfallen.

"I don't know," Tomoyo lied, knowing the obviously answer, "You should ask him." The gates of Tomoyo's home swung open and they entered her home. They travelled into Tomoyo's room and she pulled out a kimono from her closet dedicated to Sakura's costumes. It was fabricated from dark green silk, the colour of rich evergreen. The pattern, very similar to the pattern on the dress Sakura wore to the dance but was much more intricate, was stitched with milky yellow and pastel green threads up and along the left side of the kimono."

"Do you like it?" Tomoyo asked, taking the kimono off the hanger and folding it over her arm. Sakura nodded and then petted the silk delicately. A smile crept onto her lips. Tomoyo waited until Sakura undressed and then she handed the kimono to Sakura. She slipped it on and stared at herself in the mirror as Tomoyo hemmed the seam on the skirt.

"It's really nice and everything Tomoyo but isn't it a little revealing?" Sakura asked, taking note of the suspiciously low neckline and the shortness of the skirt.

"All the better my dear Sakura." Tomoyo replied mischievously, hiding her expression of happiness and conspiracy behind her body. She knew very well that Syaoran would very much enjoy Sakura in that kimono but Tomoyo couldn't help but feel herself fall in love with Sakura all over again in that sexy outfit, "Syaoran will love it, I guarantee." Sakura remained silent as Tomoyo finished tying the light blue obi around her waist and Sakura spun around for Tomoyo for good measure. The hem of the skirt ended at mid thigh, showing off her slender legs. The neckline of the kimono gaped gorgeously, revealing a little bit of her milky breasts. Tomoyo explained that she would have a yellow lily kanzashi to go in her hair on the night of.

"Shall I ask Syaoran to come with us to the festival? I don't think he knows about it. Sakura said, brushing back a few strands of her golden brown hair.

"By all means! Here, use my phone."

**c**

Touya sat on his futon, fuming. '_How dare he just march into her life again?'_ A vision of himself strangling Syaoran viciously filled his mind. He grinned maliciously and was so wrapped up in his corrupted thoughts that he didn't hear Yukito enter his room and sit himself down beside him. Yukito handed a cup of tea and Touya accepted it absently.

"Don't be angry at him Touya. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be alive right now. He took the blow for her on the weekend and many other occasions, sacrificing himself for her. This time though, he burnt his upper body really badly and lost his eyesight from the blow."

"His eyesight?"

"Yeah. He can't see out of one eye right now."

"Oh great. The brat can't even see out of one eye! How is he going to protect her now, huh?" Touya jabbed his finger at Yukito's face. Yukito sighed and shook his head.

"You make things so complicated Touya. If you would just let destiny do its job, things would be so much easier, especially if you weren't interjecting about everything, everywhere."

"That's easy for you to say. You little sister, the one you are supposed to protect with your life, isn't being taken away by some stupid, half blind brat from China."

"Sakura isn't mad at me for taking you away." Touya's face blanked and he continued to stare out into space. Yukito smiled inwardly, knowing he had struck gold when he said that. _'That'll give him something to think about.'_

**c**

**So here is one of my 'oh so useful' filler chapters before the main event, The Cherry Blossim Festival. OOO I'm so excited to write and post it. Ive got a rough beginning written up and I think it's going to be one of my funnest chapters to write yet. And do you know what that means? MORE FLUFF!**

**Big thanks to everyone whe reviewed:**

**SnowCharms**

**LiLover131**

**Miss.Redi (you'll get that kiss VERY soon...dun dun dunnn)**

**lil wolf lover**

**Boheme**

**SailorInu1**

**TamChan (you poor thing! Sick on your birthday? Well Merry Christmas to you as well and Happy Birthday!)**

**Sakura-****cha**

**Shimo and Umi (haha. You two make me laugh)**

**Yami Umi**

**Cat4862 (Addicted eh? What can I say, my story is the new drug)**

**cherushiichan (hahaha)**

**Mekana (Merry Christmas to you too!)**

**shadow.wolfie (I'm glad you love it)**

**HOLY REVIEWS! What a lovely Christmas present. **

**Hey guys! Guess what? While I was sick I drew a picture for this story, All Along and posted it on deviantart. The picture doesn't have a great resolution because I had to take a picture of it with my camera (not rich enough for a scanner) but its a picture none the less! Check out my homepage thingy for the link and leave me a comment.**

**FINALLY! An author's note: I finished translating and reading Volume 18 of Tsubasa Res C and I am very confused. Actually, If anyone has read the past 3 novels (that would be 16, 17 and 18) please tell me what is going on. I don't know if I'm just stupid or what but I have no clue what is happening. I swear I was fine until volume 15 and then after that I was like wtf is going on? Anyway, if anyone would be kind enough to give me like a brief summary of whats going on I would be eternally grateful. If you decide to help me (so I can incorporate important things into my stories in the future) please send it to my hotmail address also on my homepage thingy.**

**HOPE YOU GUYS HAD A MERRY CHRISTMAS or anything else you might celebrate AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	28. Chapter 24 Part 1

**Chapter 24: The Cherry Blossom Festival - Part 1**

**Reminiscence of the Heart**

**Wednesday Evening…**

"Oh…my…god" Tomoyo uttered breathlessly as Sakura turned around in her kimono, complete with her geta on her feet and her obi around her upper body. Sakura blushed and examined herself in the mirror. "Are you sure it isn't too revealing?" Sakura asked, rummaging down her chest and fixing her breasts so they didn't look as if they were going to pop out at any given moment.

"It's fine. In fact, it's better than fine. It's fantastic!" Tomoyo raved, falling backwards onto her bed. She took off her top and readied herself to get into her own kimono she had made for herself; it was made of silver silk and was embroidered with pink cherry blossoms. Sakura sat down at Tomoyo's vanity table and began to apply some light make-up.

"When is Chali coming over?" Sakura asked, putting some mascara on her long eyelashes.

"She should be here anytime now." Tomoyo replied, changing her bra and pulling off her uniform skirt. There was a sudden knock at the door and the door opened slightly. A sparkling yellow eye could be seen from the crack, scanning the area, "Well speak of the devil!"

"Hello! Oh my gosh I am so excited! Sakura…" Chali gaped at Sakura, her eyes wider than plates. Sakura blushed and smiled, "You look gorgeous." Chali's ears and her whiskers popped out lazily and she stepped closer to Sakura, "Cute-Syaoran is going to fall over when he sees you in dis sexy kimono!"

"Thank you!" Sakura replied, blushing and giggling sheepishly.

"Come on! Try on you kimono Chali!" Tomoyo pulled out a creamy yellow kimono from her closet dedicated to everything non-Sakura and placed it on her bed. She pulled it off the hanger and waited for Chali to strip off her clothing before handing it to her. Tomoyo couldn't help but admire how lovely and shapely her body was, complete with full breasts, a petite frame and an hourglass figure. Tomoyo reluctantly pulled her eyes away from Chali's body and handed the silk kimono over and into Chali's arms. She grinned happily and carefully slipped it on. When she finally had it on, Tomoyo admired it cheerfully. I clung to her curves gracefully and cupped her breasts lasciviously. A long slit in the silk ran up her leg, showing off her dark, toned upper thigh. She slipped on a pair of geta and turned around, giving Tomoyo a view of the whole package.

"Flawless. Chali, you were made to wear a kimono." Tomoyo stated with awe. Chali laughed her peculiar little laugh and joined Sakura at Tomoyo's vanity table.

**c**

"Are you and your party ready Miss Daidouji?" One of Tomoyo's bodyguards asked. Tomoyo smiled and nodded and the bodyguard motioned for one of her co-workers to get the limo. The three dolled up teens chatted happily as the stretch limo rolled up to the front door. They hopped into the vehicle and lounged on the soft, cushioned seats.

"Who are we picking up first?" Sakura asked, fixing her make-up in the mirror. Chali squeezed herself right beside Sakura so she could see herself in the mirror as well and checked to see if her whiskers were hidden and not poking out anywhere randomly.

"First, were going to Takashi's house first to pick him and Chiharu up, then to Naoko's to pick up her and Ishida and then to Syaoran's." Tomoyo replied. Chali cooed and winked at Sakura.

"I bet you just can't wait to see cute-Syaoran. He's going to looove you all dressed up like dis."

"Oh stop it guys. Just because I love him doesn't mean he loves me back." Both Chali and Tomoyo stared blankly at Sakura for a moment before braking out in a fit of hysterical laughter.

"Hahaha! Doesn't mean he loves me back…hah! Hah hah hah…I knew you were naïve but I didn't realize it was to dis extent! Hahaha! My dear Sakura," Chali wheezed patting her on the back, "Dat boy is infatuated wid you!" She managed to explain through fits of giggles. Sakura bushed furiously.

"He's such a great guy too. Not only is he incredibly handsome and has one of the sexiest bodies I've ever seen but he's loving, caring, magical and has an amazing personality." Tomoyo said as-a-matter-of-factly. Sakura's blush got deeper.

The limo had stopped outside Takashi's home and he and Chiharu had just gotten into the vehicle as Tomoyo finished her last sentence.

"Who are we talking about?" Chiharu asked, dressed in a purple kimono with a beige obi. Takashi was dressed in a crested yukata and he squeezed Chiharu's hand as he sat down beside her.

"Oh, we were just taking about Syaoran and how perfect he is for Sakura." Tomoyo stated casually as if it were a common discussion topic.

"Oh yes, I've been waiting for those two to hook up since grade six. Of course his leave of absence caused a bit of a problem but he came back and that's he important part. Sakura should just jump on him when she has the chance." Chiharu replied back just as casually, as if Sakura wasn't there. By this time, Sakura's face was the colour of a tomato.

They all chatted together while the limo drove to Naoko's. Sakura was still feeling rather embarrassed and stayed quiet, sitting at the front of the limo by the window. Chali had shoved herself right in with the crowd and laughed and chattered with them. She would soon become a new member and a great comrade in their little group of friends.

Naoko boarded the limo with Ishida right behind her. They sat themselves down in between Takashi and Tomoyo and kissed quickly but very passionately. Sakura mused on how Naoko had changed since she was asked out by Ishida. They seemed like they had been together for years that's how close they were. Naoko had become a little sex obsessed and often wrote lemon fan fictions. Sakura has actually read a few of them in awe, surprised at the depth and description they had been written with. Sakura knew that Naoko still had her innocence but at the rate she was going, she didn't think it would last for long.

"So how much are you guys willing to bet that Syaoran's going to fall over when he sees Sakura in that drop dead gorgeous kimono." Naoko said, smiling mischievously. Sakura gaped at her.

"I'm willing!" Tomoyo exclaimed raising her hand as if she were bidding. Sakura's jaw dropped farther.

"I think he's going to catch sight of her, stare at her, perhaps start drooling and then Takashi will have to pull him in." said Chiharu, rubbing Takashi gently on his muscular arm.

"I'm betting with wid Chiharu." Chali piped in, smiling widely. The limo braked and Syaoran stepped into the vehicle. He caught sight of Sakura and his eyes almost popped out of his head. He was dressed in a dark green yukata with the Li Clan ying-yang symbol on his breast. Chiharu began to giggle; Takashi shrugged and pulled him in.

Needless to say, Chali and Chiharu won the bet and decided to donate the money they had won to buying everyone shaved ice.

When they had finally reached the festival, they filed out of the limo and rushed into the festival with excitement. The shrine's trails were illuminated with colourful paper lanterns, all different sizes and shapes that shone with brilliance.

"Oh my gosh. It looks like someding from a storybook." Chali stated in astonishment, staring around at all the booths and traditional kimono clad people.

"I'm glad you like it!" Tomoyo replied happily, taking Chali's hand and leading her to a candy apple stand. Chiharu smiled and turned to everyone.

"Meet back here fifteen minutes before the fireworks and we'll buy everyone shaved ice then!" Chiharu grinned and Takashi offered his arm. Chiharu linked her arm with his and they sauntered up the street together. Sakura spun around and watched Naoko and Ishida amble off as well, hand in hand. Sakura turned to Syaoran and smiled.

"I guess it's just us two." She said. Syaoran blushed and turned away.

"You look really nice tonight." He blurted, his face burning.

"Thank you!" Sakura stepped over to him and grabbed his hand in one spontaneous action, "Let's walk."

**c**

"Camlo?" Chali blurted, standing in front of the okonomiyaki booth. Her lanky brother spun around and caught an eyeful of Chali and Tomoyo.

"Hello dere. I didn't know you would be coming. I just made some takoyaki. Do you want some?" Camlo replied.

"Takoyaki? Why don't you make dat at home? Dat's my favourite!" Chali pouted, staring down her brother.

"Does da pretty lady beside you want some?" Camlo smiled handsomely and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Stop flirting wid my friends." Chali interjected. Tomoyo let out a laugh, "Do you want some?"

"No that's alright. I'll steal one from you." Tomoyo replied.

"Alright," Chali turned to her brother again, "One takoyaki please." She turned away from him and sat down on the bench a few meters away to wait for her order.

"You look just like your brother." Tomoyo remarked, sitting down beside her. Chali shrugged.

"I guess. He looks more like his fader (father). I look a lot more like Moder."

"Where are your parents?" Tomoyo asked quietly. Chali looked pained with the subject.

"My fader is buried on an island not far from Jamaica. My moder lives dere wid my grandmoder but she is very sick. She sent me here after one of her prophetic dreams. She knew dat da lock of destiny was in trouble and needed help against a wicked foe. So here I am, doing my best to try and help her, Sakura. I was lucky dough because Syaoran showed up and is doing a good deal of da protecting. My broder is just here to look after me; he is no where near as skilled wid magic. He is a cat just like me but he doesn't have much power." Chali explained. Tomoyo gazed down upon her with pity.

"I'm so sorry about your parents." She whispered.

"It's alright. I'm just glad I am here instead of wid my moder, stuck in da misery."

"ORDER UP!" Camlo called from the okonomiyaki booth. Tomoyo got up and picked up the plate of takoyaki and brought it over to Chali who was staring out into space as if something was troubling her heart.

"Are you okay?" Tomoyo asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Someding isn't right. Da magician strikes again."

**c**

Sakura and Syaoran veered off the main path and strolled down one of the other trails, sparsely illuminated by lanterns. They passed a few couples walking the other way but either than that they saw no one. They walked until they met up with a tree far larger than any of the others.

"The tree." Sakura said breathlessly, a flood of memories assaulting her brain. She turned to Syaoran, still clasping his hand, "Do you remember."

"How could I forget?" He replied, remembering the caper with The Return Card. He smiled as he remembered the first time he had actually made contact with Sakura when she had hugged him.

"It's funny how fast time passes," Sakura remarked as she walked over and underneath the branches of the tree. Syaoran followed suite, anticipating what she was going to say, "It's seems not that long ago." They relaxed in the comfortable silence, reminiscing memories of the past. Syaoran made to sit down by the roots of the tree when Sakura stopped him.

"You're going to get yourself dirty." She pulled a handkerchief from inside her obi and set it on the ground, "Remember this?"

"Of course. It was the first time I got the courage to say your name." The elevator incident rocked him in his mind. He lost himself in reality and the scene played out in his head as if it were on a movie screen. _'Locked inside an elevator I went to sit down. You said "No, you'll get yourself dirty" and pulled out a handkerchief so we could both sit on it.'_

"Only this time you're a whole lot bigger and I don't think I'm going to fit." Sakura smiled. Syaoran sat down on the handkerchief and looked up at her.

"You can sit on me." He offered, motioning to his lap.

"Are you sure?" Sakura looked tentative.

"Positive." Sakura slowly lowered herself onto his lap but stumbled and leant backwards too far. She fell with a thump on top of Syaoran and he stopped her from falling further, "You're still as clumsy as ever." He grinned wolfishly, cradling her off the ground. She got flustered and pulled herself back up into a sitting position.

"Shut up." She blushed and pouted. He laughed and leant back against the trunk of the tree.

"I'm just teasing you." He joshed, tenderly holding her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand.

"Syaoran, I have something to ask you." Sakura whispered, looking away. Syaoran frowned with puzzlement.

"What is it?"

"Syaoran, are you…are you leaving Japan soon?" She asked, refusing to meet his eyes. Syaoran's face softened and he placed his hand on her cheek and gently pushed her face over to face him again.

"No. I'll leave when I want to and I promise it won't be anytime soon, if at all." Sakura smiled and turned her face into Syaoran's hand. She leant into him and embraced him. Syaoran beamed as he embraced her back, contented that it made her happy to know that he would be staying. He would make sure he would stay for the sake of Sakura; for the sake of himself. He couldn't return to that misery, he couldn't return to the responsibility he didn't want, he couldn't return to his home. This was his home now, in Japan, in Tomoeda, in Sakura's arms.

**c**

There was a lengthily explosion and a rush of water from the outskirts of Tomoeda. It rose to the skies, its colossal form silhouetted against the full moon. Chali's ears perked and Camlo's head poked out of the booth. They could both hear it as if it was right in front of them. An enormous wave of water was coming.

**c**

**I'll tell you, I don't actually think my New Year could get any worse but through my depression I have for you this chapter. But one thing is for certain, I had a grand total of one review on my last chapter and that was from from Tam-Chan. No one else reviewed chapter 23. I have had 120 hits and one review. Here's my message to you all. Don't read this story unless you're going to review. I'm serious about this guys. Nothing hurts a writer more then when their stories aren't recognised. I know fanfiction has screwed up again and we arn't getting the e-mails we normally get but still. Please review and make my life a little bit happier cause right now...it ain't to great. **

**I really don't feel like love or fluff but whatever, Bronte**


	29. Chapter 24 Part 2

**Chapter 24: The Cherry Blossom Festival - Part 2**

**Family Ties**

**Wednesday Evening…**

"Shit!" Chali exclaimed, shooting a glance over to her brother. He was already bounding over the booths counter and over to her.

"We've got to get out of here! It's a tsunami!" Camlo shouted.

"Dis is no tsunami. Dis is one of da magician's devices. We have no time to lose." Chali flipped off her shoes and began to run, her brother following behind her. Tomoyo faltered for a moment before flipping her shoes off as well and running after them.

**c**

"Did you feel that?" Sakura said suddenly.

"What?" Syaoran replied, eyeing her with confusion.

"A tremor in the earth." Sakura replied, getting up off of Syaoran. She stood up and released her staff, "I don't have a very good feeling about it."

"Do you have any Cards with you?" Syaoran asked, getting up himself.

"No but I'll fix that." Sakura held her staff in front of her and closed her eyes, "I command you, your owner. By contract you are bound to me and shall return to me." She opened her eyes and waited for about five seconds with her hand outstretched in front of her. The Cards appeared out of no where and piled themselves neatly on the palm of Sakura's hands.

"Since when could you do that?" Syaoran asked, staring at the Cards that weren't there five seconds prior.

"Since I asked them to." Sakura smiled, the secret hidden behind her grin. She placed them in her obi and kept one out. She threw it up and released it. A pair of wings appeared on both of their backs and Sakura shot upwards. Syaoran scowled with memories.

"Not this again." He growled and flapped the troublesome wings and joined Sakura up in the sky. In the distance they caught a glimpse of something they thought they would never see this far inland.

"Oh my god." Sakura whispered, the colour draining from her face.

"What does this have to do with the weather?" Syaoran murmured, absently holding Sakura's hand.

"I don't know but I suppose we'll see soon enough."

**c**

Once Chali and Camlo reached the cover of the trees they transformed into their cat like forms and bounded side by side in the shade of the blossoms. Tomoyo bolted after them pulling out her cell phone from her obi. She speed dialled Sakura and prayed that she would answer.

"Hello?"

"Sakura! Something is happening! Chali and her brother think there is a wave coming!"

"That's because there is." Sakura replied blankly. Tomoyo's face lost its colour.

"What?"

"There's a massive wave coming towards Tomoeda. Syaoran and I are flying towards it now." Tomoyo could hear the noise of rushing water in the background.

"Good luck Sakura. I'll try and get everyone out of here."

"Thank you Tomoyo." Sakura hung up and Tomoyo tucked the cell phone back in obi while skidding to a stop. She spun around and began shouting a warning.

**c**

"Shit! Dere it is!" Camlo swore, striding faster beside his sister. Her fangs glittered in the moonlight and her eyes glowed with a vengeance.

"And dere is Sakura and Syaoran." Chali said, spotting the two up above them. A winged creature Chali recognized as Yue joined the couple in the sky. The three of them swooped downwards upon catching sight of the two cats below them. They could now see the wave coming towards them, breaking the boundaries of Tomoeda. It was rushing towards them at a phenomenally fast pace, taking with it the beginnings of the buildings on the outskirts of the city. Chali leaped up a building leaving her brother alone on the street. He continued striving towards the wave, a determination burning like a fire in his eyes.

"What the hell is he doing?" Syaoran said, rushing through the wind and staring down at the Chali look-alike.

"That's her brother I think. She's spoken to me before about him." Sakura replied, "As for what he's doing, I don't have the slightest clue." Yue readied himself to swoop down and grab him, "Don't! He knows what he's doing!" Yue shot her a doubtful glance.

"Mistress, he's running into a massive wave." Yue stated the obvious. Syaoran barely managed to keep himself from scoffing.

"I know. But he knows what he's doing. I can tell." Sakura landed on the rooftop of a building and held out her staff. Syaoran landed beside her and released his sword. Sakura glanced sidelong at Yue and saw he was gazing over at Chalandra who was panting on the roof adjacent to them.

"Yue, go check on Chali and see if she's alright." Sakura said, turning to Yue and smiling. He nodded without showing any emotion on his face and quickly leaped off the roof.

"It's almost upon him." Syaoran said, anxiety dripping from his words. Sakura stared down at the cat-boy, her eyes wide with fear. Chali was screaming down from the rooftop, shouting vulgar curses at him.

Camlo skidded to a stop and stared up at the wave, an unbearable terror gripping his heart with its icy grip. His heart thudded loudly in his ears. Slowly, his tired muscles shuddering uncontrollably, he got to his humanoid feet and held out his hands above his head. The wave began to crash down on him and he could feel the icy water splashing his skin.

Chali watched in horror, only Yue's grip around her waist keeping her from jumping down and saving her brother, "Camlo!" She wailed, scratching the air around her in vain. Yue held her with a firm grip and gritted his teeth against the constant nails being dug into his porcelain skin.

As if rehearsed, the four creatures unfortunate enough to witness such a sight screamed out into the night.

"CAMLO!"

**c**

Kero laid on one of Sakura's throw pillows, unable to move, talk or do anything except for thinking which was an improvement from yesterday. His mind was so scrambled on the day prior that he couldn't even deem, let alone remember his own name. Sakura had told him what had happened that morning and he could barely wrap his head around it. _'That magician is strong, stronger than I could have ever imagined. I don't know what Sakura is going to do when they finally have a show down with this magician. That brat better be there. If he isn't, she's doomed. As much as I hate to say it, I'm glad that he's here or else I don't think Sakura would be existing right now.'_ Kero closed his eyes and concentrated. _'Who on earth is this wizard? Let me think…he uses the weather as a weapon. That narrows the search down a bit. He's a shape shifter from what Sakura said when he escaped in the form of a sparrow and he can get into minds. And his eyes…we've all seen them but have said nothing about them. They're rather unique, almost icy and definitely immobilizing. He almost always attacks at night save the attack using heat and snow. But wait…those must have been cast at night because it started snowing that night and it would have taken many hours to alter the sun and pull it so close. This means only one thing. The magician draws his magic from either the moon or the stars. But which magician is it? None that I can think of live to this present moment…unless. Could it be? The attack on Prague, he shape shifted into the city, he caused a massive lightning storm and he got into the minds of the tower guards to steal the Black Sapphire…'_ Kero's eyes snapped open. _'Orion!'_

**c**

As if it was is slow motion, Chali wiggled out of Yue's grasp and ran to the edge of the building. She stared wildly at the wave of water as it crashed down on top of her brother. She screamed out his name and it disappeared from the roar of the wave. Sakura jumped up into the air to try and swoop down and find him but the wave halted suddenly, as if it was frozen. The noise of rushing water stopped and the night was silent except for the groans and grunts of someone who sounded like they were carrying a thousand pounds.

"Camlo!" Chalandra exclaimed, scaling down the building and onto the ground. She found her brother kneeling underneath the wave, his paws glowing with red pulses.

"Sakura…capture…can't…hold…" Camlo muttered though gritted teeth. Chalandra nodded and bounded back up the building. _'I guess he has a lot more power dan I dought.'_ Chalandra landed in front of Sakura.

"He's alright but he can't hold da wave for long. You need to capture it while you can." Sakura nodded and took a deep breath. She held her staff out in front of her and motioned her head for everyone to move.

"Mysterious force I bring you to thy end! Defuse your magic and disintegrate!" The light from her staff assaulted the wave and enrobed it with blinding light. Camlo screamed in agony.

"Stop! You're hurting my broder!" Chalandra screamed. Yue grabbed her before she could run out in front of Sakura. Sakura stared at her with apologetic eyes as she wielded the beam of energy. She closed her eyes and whipped her staff to give it a burst of extra power. The extra boost attacked the wave with such strength that it exploded and disappeared. In its wake was much damage. The part of the town it had engulfed was in ruins, flattened and tattered. And on the ground laid Camlo, insentient. Sakura fell backwards into Syaoran's arms, exhausted. She threw her head back and was breathing heavily. Syaoran scooped her upwards into his arms and flew downwards to Camlo's body along side of Yue. Chali was far ahead, bounding towards him.

"Camlo! Are you alright?" She said, cradling his head in her lap. One of Camlo's eyes opened and he smiled up at Chali.

"I've been better." He replied quietly, almost inaudibly. Chali sighed in relief and embraced him, tears springing from her eyes. Syaoran walked up to them with Yue along side. His face actually showed some emotion for once, showing some compassion for them. Sakura's head lolled towards them and she smiled tiredly.

"Are you going to be okay?" Sakura asked. Camlo looked up at her and nodded his head.

"I'll be fine." He replied, breathing heavily, "I didn't know I was capable of dat."

"I didn't eider." Chali grinned. Camlo punched her softly and they both began to laugh.

"Let's go back to the festival." Sakura whispered to Syaoran. He nodded and flapped his wings lifting himself off the ground. He stayed low to the ground so that they wouldn't be seen and he landed in the shrine by the tree they had been sitting by. Still in Syaoran's arms she called back the Fly and her staff returned to its smaller form. She put it around her neck and relaxed into Syaoran's arms, enough to feel as if she could just melt right through. Syaoran sat down on that little handkerchief they had left there and cradled her in his arms, her body as limp as a boned fish.

"Sakura! Syaoran! Are you alright?" Tomoyo exclaimed, running towards them, "Is Sakura okay? Is she hurt?" Tomoyo dropped to her knees at Sakura's side.

"I don't know." Syaoran said. He suddenly became alert, "I know this feeling." He left Sakura with Tomoyo and got to his feet. _'This feeling…where is that son of a bitch. He's gotten into her head again.'_ Syaoran held his sword out in front of him and closed his eyes, opening his mind's eye to his surroundings. _'Where is he…where is he?'_ He reached out, his aura sensing something dark and evil. Syaoran eyes flicked open and he grinned wolfishly. "Found you."

Syaoran swung his sword forwards and a lightning bolt shot out from its tip. It disappeared into the tree and abruptly another lightning bolt shot out of it directly at Syaoran. Syaoran dodged a multitude of bolts before sending off another volley of lightning, assaulting the tree. There was a piercing scream and the magician in the tree fell down and onto the roots of the tree. Syaoran began to run towards him with his sword when the figure on the ground morphed into something he never expected to see again.

"You foolish boy. Will the men of the Li Clan ever learn not to mess with a magician?" Said Orion out of the mouth of Syaoran's father. Syaoran stared wildly at the man. He grinned maliciously and in a flash he disappeared and only a sparrow could be seen flying away.

"Syaoran, you look as if you have seen a ghost." Tomoyo said, walking up beside him.

"I thought I did but then I remembered. My father didn't have blue eyes."

**c**

**Part 2 of Chapter 24. I think its pretty good. I hope you guys think so too. Did you guys like that little bit on Camlo? I needed to shove him in there somewhere. Guess what? There are 4 more chapters until All Along ends and I'm pretty excited. Mind you there will be a sequel and perhaps a few after that. Who knows what curveballs life will throw at me?**

**Thank you for the reviews. Fanfiction is still screwed up and isn't sending off messages but here are the people that reviewed.**

**Alessandria (chocolate does help)**

**lil wolf lover**

**Jae**

**SnowCharms**

**Tam Chan (Thanks. You are soo sweet. Reading reviews like these make me feel better.)**

**Rushi**

**Fly (Thanks. It is my first fic I've ever actually accomplished. I'm glad you like it.)**

**soibean123**

**Mekena**

**Boheme (The Li family is going to be an ongoing issue throughout this whole series. It won't be figured out until the very end of all my sequels)**

**Miss.Redi**

**and special thanks to Shimo (Mew Frost) for two reviews and the explanation of Tsubasa 16-18. Thank you for clearing it up for me. I actually get it now! I was so confused about the whole 'Fai is a vampire and psycho-Syaoran ate Fai's eye and wtf is going on and holy crap I thought the good Syaoran was in a tube and nows he's not and omg...' Anyway, ahem. I understand now and I thank you very very very very VERY much. **

**Please review. The end is coming soon!**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	30. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Rumours**

**Thursday Morning…**

The next day Sakura had to drag herself to school. The town was buzzing with gossip about the night's events prior, the strange goings on. There were many casualties from the mysterious force that had flattened part of the city. People were reluctant to believe that it was a wave that claimed the lives of those who had lived on the outskirts. Others thought it was a hail storm that had smashed the buildings into smithereens flatter than pancakes and a selected few didn't want to believe anything; too afraid of this unknown force to even ponder on the subject.

There was a rumour circulating across the student body at Tomoeda's high school that three winged figures were spotted across the horizon. Some people said they were angels; others had their suspicions on whom it might have been. Especially since the one of the 'angels' was wearing a short skirted kimono. Sakura received many mixed stares as she walked to her locker.

"Tomoyo, why is everyone staring at me as if I'm naked?" Sakura asked as inconspicuously as she could as she opened the lock to her locker.

"On of the three 'angels' spotted on the horizon was wearing a short skirted kimono." Sakura's face turned grave, "You were the only one at the festival wearing a short skirted kimono."

"Shit." Sakura swore without even realizing the word had escaped her lips. She excused herself temporarily for her language and opened her locker, "What am I going to do?"

"Lie." Tomoyo stated simply, throwing an onlooker a dirty glare, "It's simple really. Tell people that you were with Syaoran the whole time. That'll send a whole new flock of rumours around the school."

"Lie? You know I can't lie. I'm horrible at it." Sakura stated. Tomoyo grinned and grabbed her hand.

"But you are good at acting. And so is Syaoran or he will be once I get my hands on him. Acting is really just like lying anyways. So, you be incredibly lovey-dovey for the remainder of the week with Syaoran and new rumours will start, rumours much less threatening. I'll answer the questions and you just nod and smile and deny the fact that you were flying over Tomoeda. It's going to work; I'll make sure of it." Tomoyo grinned charmingly and closed her locker, "Now come. We've got to find Syaoran before he does anything stupid."

**c**

Syaoran had just walked around the corner when Tomoyo and Sakura glomped him and pulled him into a broom closet. Onlookers stared for a moment and shrugged.

"What have you said about Sakura and last night's incident?" Tomoyo whispered hoarsely, pushing Syaoran against the wall. Syaoran panicked and waved his arms around.

"I haven't said anything!" He exclaimed wildly. Tomoyo examined him for a moment before sighing in relief.

"He isn't lying, thank god. Look, we've got a big problem. People saw you guys flying to the scene of the wave and they recognized Sakura. Rumours are spreading like wildfire and we have to stall it somehow. So, we came up with a plan."

"You mean, you've come up with a plan." Sakura interjected.

"Whatever," Tomoyo waved the comment off, "Anyway, to stop the rumours about Sakura floating like an angel overtop of Tomoeda we've got to tell them something to make them forget something absurd like that, ahem, and give them something worthy to talk about. I'm going to tell people that you two were amongst the cherry blossom trees canoodling with each other the whole time and heard nothing of the matter. But while I'm putting my butt out on the line for you two I need you both to do your part in this as well. You two have to act, just like old times right?" Tomoyo slapped both Syaoran and Sakura on the shoulder. They stared back blankly. Tomoyo rolled her eyes, "Loosen up lovebirds. You've got to act like you're in love for the remained of this week. That'll give them something totally gossip worthy for them to chat their happy little faces off and flying Sakura will soon be old news. Understand?" Both Sakura and Syaoran nodded, still staring at Tomoyo as if she had three heads, "Good. Now go out there holding hands. Do something lovey. Make it seem real."

"Lovey as in what?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know. Use your imagination. Now let's go!" Tomoyo opened the broom closet door and pushed both of them back into the hall. Sakura grabbed Syaoran hand and she walked over to his locker as loosely as she could even though she felt like an un-greased tin man.

"So Sakura, how you doin'?" Syaoran said tonelessly.

"I thought you guys were actors!" Tomoyo exclaimed, popping out of no where between the two of them, "Say something or do something that'll make people gasp. We've got to make people forget about this quick before Sakura is fried at the stake for witchcraft or something. You know how superstitious the people in this town are." Tomoyo explained. Syaoran nodded, realizing the depth of the issue.

"Alright, we'll act. Just stop popping up everywhere will you? It's kind of creepy." Syaoran requested. Tomoyo chortled happily and walked away, "So we have to make a rumour eh?" Syaoran looked around him, a wolfish gleam twinkling in his eyes.

"What are you planning on doing to me?" Sakura asked tentatively, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Oh nothing, I'll just wait until this hall fills up a little bit more before we…" He trailed off as the popular posse of brawny guys and trendy girls walked around the corner, "Perfect timing." He grinned and then smashed his lips on Sakura's. The group gasped in unison and immediately started buzzing about them finally hooking up. Syaoran waited until they had walked further down the hall before pulling away.

"That'll get around the school fast." Syaoran remarked, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Sakura blinked a few times before the past few seconds caught up with her.

"Gah…eu…yeah." Sakura managed to say, her brain no where near reality.

**c**

Homeroom started and the class was already buzzing on how their most watched couple had finally gotten together.

"How did it get around so fast?" Sakura whispered to Syaoran, sitting on his lap at his desk. Tomoyo was beaming proudly.

"Sakura, we kissed in front of the rumour mills of the school. Tomoyo got the rumour she wanted and she better be happy with it." Syaoran replied, leaning back into his chair. Sakura shrugged and leant on Syaoran.

"How is your eye?" Sakura asked, staring directly at his bad eye. From afar his eye looked just like the other one but up close, it looked like a glass doll eye.

"My sight is slowly coming back. It's just really blurry now. I don't know what it looks like though because of the Illusion." Syaoran replied. Sakura thought for a moment.

"Turn your head towards the wall." Sakura turned his head and pushed her head in front of his, "See, it'll look like were getting busy when really," Sakura flicked her hand and the Illusion returned to a Card which she tucked underneath her skirt, "I'm checking your eye. It's getting better. It just looks like you have a fog overtop of your eye!" Sakura smiled happily. "I'm so glad it's getting better. I would feel so bad if it wasn't. It was my fault after all." The smile faded from her face.

"No it wasn't. I choose to protect you so I could feel the pain instead of you." Syaoran replied, stroking Sakura's hand softly with his thumb. Sakura pulled the Illusion from underneath her skirt and held it.

"Make Syaoran's eye look like his other one, release." Sakura whispered and the Card covered Syaoran eye with a chimera of his healthy eye. The school bell rang and Sakura raised herself off of Syaoran and sat in her own seat in front of his. Sakura glanced back at him as the morning announcements started and smiled.

**c**

**The big filler before the real action begins. I'm so excited guys. Woot! Three more chapters left. So exciting!**

**Thank you for the reviews to:**

**SailorInu (yes...problems...fun...muahaha)**

**Sakura-cha (yep, sadistic is me!)**

**Miss.Redi (you got your kiss. It actually wasn't even planned but you guys were hounding me for a kiss so I shoved it in there. Weather there will be another kiss...well you will all have to wait for it. and thanks for wanting to draw a pic! Im so excited to see it!)**

**MooniesRule (I'm glad you're so hooked on it. Thank you!)**

**Boheme (Don't you just love evil villains? Muahaha)**

**Tam-Chan (You can call me whichever. -chan is fine. OMG MEN IN TIGHTS! LIKE MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE MOVIE! EEEEE! I LOVE MEL BROOKS!)**

**Shimo (I love how you guys actually thought Camlo was a goner. I'm not killing anyone off...that is until later. Muahahaha)**

**Soibean123 (Thank you! I'm so glad that you think its one of the best that you've read. I'm so flattered.)**

**cherushiichan (hahaha. Yes there will be a sequel and more to come)**

**SnowCharms (maybe...maybe not...muahahah!)**

**I am feeling so delectably evil today. I hope you enjoyed this lovely little filler with the kiss. It was lovely and fun to write. Teehee...muahahahahahahahah!**

**Love, fluff and evilness, Bronte**


	31. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: The Date**

**Friday Afternoon…**

"Does that mean-" Syaoran started before he was rudely cut off by a bubbly Tomoyo.

"It means that you two are done acting. Everyone took the bait thankfully and now you two are free to do and act however you please." Tomoyo stated happily, embracing both Sakura and Syaoran at the same time. They grimaced as she hugged them and Tomoyo ended up pressing Sakura and Syaoran up against each other, so close that they were bumping noses. Sakura blushed at the closeness. Syaoran had only kissed her that one time in the hall but that one kiss was enough to get the rumour flying, much to Sakura's dismay. The kiss had played out in her mind over and over again throughout the past two days. _'If only it had gone just a little bit farther…'_

'_Huh?'_ Syaoran's voice asked inside Sakura's head. Sakura blushed and panicked.

'_Nothing! Why are you listening to my thoughts anyway?'_

'_Because you were staring out into space as we are being pressed together like sardines by Tomoyo.'_

'_Oh. Haha! That's funny!' _Sakura replied sheepishly through their telepathy.

"Now go! The bell has rung and everyone is leaving. Say goodbye and then leave together and then you can do whatever you want. Now leave! Bye guys!" Tomoyo said, pushing them away from her and waving them off. Sakura had become quite comfortable holding Syaoran's hand in public so she guiltlessly grabbed it and they headed down the hall and out of the main door. Fellow students and friends waved goodbye and shouted farewells as they left the yard, leaving a good deal of chattering in their wake.

"Are you busy today?" Syaoran asked, getting over the butterflies that were having a demolition derby in his stomach. Sakura turned to him and smiled, letting go of his hand.

"No, not at all. My father will be coming home very late tonight and my brother is on a trip with Yukito." Sakura replied.

"Want to go get something to eat then? I didn't get a chance to eat at lunch and I'm really hungry." Syaoran said, running his hands through his hair nervously.

"Sure! I'd love to." Sakura answered, thrilled to be spending a little bit more time with Syaoran. Syaoran sighed in relief.

"Great," He said more to himself then to Sakura, "So where would you like to go?"

"It should be up to you. But if you want my opinion, ramen sounds lovely right now."

"Good idea. It's been a while since I've eaten ramen." Syaoran looked up at the sky and noticed a few looming rain clouds hanging in the sky farther off in the distance. He didn't think anything of it.

"Really? I ate ramen just the other day. I love ramen." Sakura grinned happily as she imagined herself slurping noodles beside Syaoran. There was a gust of wind and some cherry blossoms blew off the trees that grew beside the sidewalks. Sakura caught a few and skipped on ahead to grab a few more. Syaoran watched her with a warm heart, her innocent sweetness sending shivers all over his body. They turned the corner and started towards Penguin Park.

"Hoe!" Sakura exclaimed as a raven black cat bolted out of an alley right in front of her. Syaoran caught her right before she fell backwards. The cat faltered at the curb of the road and hissed at Syaoran and Sakura. Syaoran gazed over at the cat and was locked into its icy blue eyes.

"That's no ordinary cat." Syaoran whispered into Sakura's ear and then continued to press on, walking quickly while grasping Sakura. Sakura kept prodding him on what was the matter but Syaoran wouldn't reply. It was when they had walked into Penguin Park that Syaoran decided to speak again.

"That was the magician, I just know it." Syaoran growled, letting the wind mess with his hair.

"What? The magician? How do you know?" Sakura pressed, turning to him and watching him with widened eyes.

"I didn't tell you about what happened Wednesday when you were asleep." Syaoran looked away, avoiding Sakura's eyes, "The magician got into your head again while you were weak and your mind was vulnerable. I ended up finding him and we had a pretty heated fight. I zapped him out of the tree he was attacking me from and he fell to the ground. But when he got up he was in the form of…" Syaoran trailed off with a pained expression, "My father." Sakura gasped and Syaoran had to gather himself again before he could continue, "He then disappeared in the form of a sparrow like he had that time earlier and left me at the foot of the tree in a state of shock. It took me a while to realize that it wasn't the ghost of my father that I saw. My father had eyes the colour of mine while this impersonator," He said that with a distinguished disgust, "Had sky blue eyes. I've seen this magician's eyes before when I zapped him the first time and then that cat had the same horrible blue eyes. I know it was him and I have a feeling it won't be the last time we run into him today." Syaoran said that last sentence with a weightily dread that thudded on Sakura's heart like a ton of bricks.

"Do-do you think he will attack tonight?" Sakura asked, groping his school jacket.

"I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised if he did." Syaoran replied, rubbing his stomach, "I think I need some food. At least if we eat we'll have the energy to fight him."

**c**

Syaoran sat down with Sakura at the ramen booth in the park and ordered two ramen. He paid for them despite Sakura's protests and they sat on a bench by the Penguin slide to eat their noodles.

"Syaoran," Sakura began breaking the silence, "What happened to your father?" She said this quietly, knowing she was touching a sensitive subject.

"He…he was murdered. Murdered by a very powerful magician. Wei has told me little by little over the years on what happened that night. He said that he was ambushed as he was walking through a park with Wei at his side and was forced to fight against his will. He was killed by a bolt of lightning and then he stayed alive long enough to tell Wei to protect the family and he died in Wei's arms. Wei is often haunted by the memory of my father. Sometimes I'll hear him cry out at night, saying things like, 'Master Lang!' or 'Don't leave me Master!'." Syaoran explained, gazing blankly out to the horizon. Sakura soaked in his words sadly and laid her head on Syaoran's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." Sakura whispered. Syaoran waited long before he replied.

"It's alright. It was a long time ago." He said solemnly, turning his head back to Sakura and nuzzling his face in her candy smelling hair. Her fragrance filled his nostrils and lightened his heart, even in the melancholy it was drowning in.

Sakura smiled as she felt his aura lift and lighten. He wrapped his arm around Sakura and embraced her, pulling her closer to him. She embraced him back and felt her own soul relax even in these terrible times she lived in. Syaoran gave her the warmth and the love she needed that the world didn't have for her. Sakura gave Syaoran comfort and the love he needed to survive.

**c**

Tomoyo stood out on her balcony while the wind fought and tugged at her hair. She watched the sky with a touch of panic written on her face. Dark, angry clouds were looming above her home, gazing threateningly at the grounds it was slowly taking over and hiding from the sun. Soon the sun was hidden from Tomoyo and she stood anxiously as the wind picked up. Her hands gripped the balcony tightly, her nails digging into the ivory pained wood. Her heart raced with the knowledge that Syaoran and Sakura were still out there. Her limo had passed them walking to Penguin Park.

Branches tore and fell from the trees as the wind ripped through the city. Things flew off the ground and into windows and other objects, shattering them and breaking them. Lightning danced from cloud to cloud and funnel clouds appeared in the distance. Tomoyo stared wide-eyed at it all and didn't even protest as one of her maids pulled her inside her bedroom and closed the door.

"Miss Daidouji! There is a raging storm out there! You stay inside!" The maid scolded and then left Tomoyo's bedroom.

Tomoyo sat down on her bed and twiddled her wind blown hair with her fingers. She had long deemed on why the magician had used a tsunami as a weapon. After speaking with Kero quickly that afternoon before the storm had rolled in she came to a swift discovery. She picked up the sleeping guardian and placed him on her lap, petting him gently. Kero had been very weak and was unable to talk or move the whole week but was slowly gaining his strength back. Just as the storm appeared, Kero felt as if the weight had been pushed off of him and he made for Tomoyo's house as quick as he could because Sakura had not yet returned home from school. He found Tomoyo in her bedroom, pacing impatiently. Tomoyo let him in after Kero had bashed himself against the window and he had told her all about his discovery on who the Magician Orion was and what he was capable of. But the effort he had put in to get to Tomoyo's soon hit him and he fell asleep on Tomoyo's bed after finishing his tale on Orion's adventure in Prague. Tomoyo soon remembered that the tide was controlled by the moon and the stars. Orion was a worker of the stars and used his intellection of moon lore to his advantage. The sun is a star and was at his disposal to wield. It frightened Tomoyo to just think about the power he possessed and how it could ultimately destroy her best friend into a smoking pile of dust. Tomoyo griped a pillow on her bed and let a tear fall from her eye. She tried Sakura's cell phone for the seventeenth time and then tried Syaoran's for the fourteenth but neither of them picked up. A few more tears escaped her eyes and she made no effort to stem their determined flow. She knew that Syaoran and Sakura were in trouble. 'This magician is stronger then ever before', Kero had said. Tomoyo threw her head back and stifled an angry sob as she cursed the creator of humans for the gift of woman's intuition.

**c**

"There is a storm coming." Syaoran said quietly, releasing Sakura out of his embrace. The wind picked up at a phenomenal rate and whipped his hair violently around his face. He sat up and stared up at the sky as the clouds rolled in and began to churn in funnel clouds. Sakura got up beside him and held onto his arm, as if she was afraid she was going to be blown away as well.

"We've got to get out of here." Sakura yelled over the noise the storm had made all the sudden; wailing and groaning. A massive tree branch off one of the bigger trees in the park severed from the trunk and went flailing towards them both. Syaoran sensed it from behind him and dived downwards, taking Sakura with him. The branch went flying over their heads and smashed into the bench beside them, shattering it with an ear-splitting crack. Both of them jumped to their feet and began to run down the trail, dodging random branches and other airborne objects being blown their way. The wind bashed them this way and that; the only thing keeping them together was their tightly clasped hands.

"Which house is closer?" Sakura screamed, meaning which house should they go for cover. Syaoran cocked his head to the left and shouted back.

"Mine. It's closer." He started running and jerked Sakura's hand, bringing her along. Cars and bicycles littered the road, empty and doors ajar, their owners long gone and under cover. The two of them dashed in between machinery, bounding over unavoidable cars and crawling under others. They ran off the road and onto the sidewalk just as the rain began to fall, splattering down in huge droplets. Syaoran cursed and picked up the pace, skidding around a corner and seeing a shortcut to his home.

"Quick! We'll cut through that parking lot and we'll be at my apartment! Come on!" Syaoran shouted as they trudged forwards, the rain slowing them down. Sakura tried to move her legs quicker but the icy, frigid rain was freezing her to the marrow. Syaoran sensed her distress and threw off his jacket and handed it to her. She shoved her arms through the sleeves and even though its fibres were soaked, it still warmed her with the heat of his body he had given it.

They bounded off the curb and shot down the road like a bat out of hell and then across the ramp and into the parking lot. Sakura and Syaoran ran though the lot, vacant of any cars, and flew right though the middle. Syaoran hurdled over an upturned crack in the cement but Sakura caught her foot on it and tripped, the bare skin on her legs skidding across the rough asphalt and ripping it apart. Syaoran was dragged down with her and groaned. There was a splash in a puddle behind them, the clear sound of a heavy footfall.

"Well hello there," Said a deliciously silky but malevolent voice that cut through the storms roar like a knife, "Such delightful weather isn't it?"

**c**

**AHHH! The cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers! Bwahahah. I'm so sadistic leaving you all tip-toed on the edge of a knife. Teehee!**

**Thank yous to:**

**SnowCharms**

**SailorInu1**

**Mooniesrule (Fluff! O fluff how I love fluff!)**

**caw122182 (Why so short? Because I wanted it short!)**

**soibean123 (thank you darling. You have no idea how much your username makes me laugh. soibean teehee!)**

**lil wolf lover**

**lucky aries**

**Boheme**

**cherushiichan (why thank you!)**

**Miss.Redi (I hope you find your pic. I'm looking forward to seeing it)**

**Shimo and Umi (haha ebil? hahahaha)**

**Rhapsody (DARLING! Since when have you been reading my story?)**

**Tam-Chan (Were men, manly men, were men in tights TIGHT tights! hahahah!)**

**Sorry to all those who are reading this and going wtf? I think I'm going through early mid life crisis, calling people darlings and laughing evilly. **

**Two more chapters left! EEEEEEEE!**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	32. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: The Showdown**

**Friday Evening…**

"Well hello there. Such delightful weather isn't it?" The figure spat, rainwater streaming down his face and spraying forwards as he spoke. The two figures sprawled out in front of him looked pitiful and his malicious laughing echoed through the storm. Both Syaoran and Sakura rolled onto their backs and stared up at the looming figure. Sakura cringed and began to crawl backwards. She met eyes with Ryan, still in his school uniform.

"Are you alright Ryan?" Sakura asked shakily, clinging onto Syaoran without noticing, "Do you have a cold? You're voice has changed…" She trailed off as she stared at Ryan who was laughing.

"You're pitiful. You are the Mistress of the Cards and yet you are still unable to unmask me, the troublesome foe. I can't believe you didn't realize who was behind all the destruction in your little town," He glowered down at her lithe form and then grinned, "and soon it will be your destruction."

"Get away from us." Syaoran growled, holding Sakura close to him.

"Oh shut up. You have been nothing but a menace to me." Ryan scowled at Syaoran with spite, "Pitiful mortal."

"What's going on? Who are you and what do you want with us?" Sakura exclaimed, the rain numbing the pain in her legs, torn up by her fall on the concrete. Blood dripped from the scrapes and oozed into puddles of water beneath her, turning them crimson.

"I want something of priceless value from you Card Mistress. Who am I? Well I'll let you see that for yourself. Care to see who you're up against?" Without waiting for an answer, Ryan closed his eyes and mumbled a few words incoherently. A light illuminated his body and a huge cloud of dust exploded around him from the ground. The dust flew towards the couple; Sakura buried her head in Syaoran's chest and Syaoran shielded her and himself from the flying particles. When the dust cleared from the air, they both stared in stricken awe at the man who stood before them. He was tall and thin, with very pale skin. His hair was jet black with a blue-ish shimmer. His face was long and handsome but three blue warped triangles tattooed on his right cheek spoiled his beauty. A black cloak billowed from his shoulders in a cold gust of wind. Icy blue eyes stared at the couple with malice.

"You!" Syaoran spat, pointing at him accusingly, "You're the magician who has been causing all this trouble! You're the one killing innocent people!"

"Yeah, yeah. It was me All Along," Orion blew Syaoran's charge off and shrugged, "It's all in a day's work. Now Card Mistress, surrender your cards." Orion motioned for her with his outstretched hand.

"No. They're mine." Sakura yelled back, a fire burning in her emerald eyes.

"I have no time for your empty heroic slogans. I'll ask one more time nicely. Give me the cards and I'll leave you and your country." Orion repeated, motioning again with his hand.

"I said no!" Sakura retorted, holding the cards close to her heart, hidden in Syaoran's jacket.

"You know Sakura, I admire you. You're smart, cunning, you stick to your guns and not to mention drop-dead gorgeous." Orion commented, flipping his cloak off glamorously. It fluttered away in the wind and landed in a nicely folded pile a little way off, "But it's unfortunate that someone with all that talent will have to go to waste."

"What are you talking about?" Syaoran interjected, taking a protective step in front of Sakura.

"You are the stupidest mortal I've ever had to endure!" Orion rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Get out of the way so I can finish this." A strong gust of wind lifted Syaoran from the concrete and threw him to the ground a few meters away. Sakura screamed and ran toward him but a solid grip on her wrist stopped her dead in her tracks.

"How dare you!" Sakura exclaimed fighting hopelessly against Orion's iron grip.

"Oh come on. Just give me the cards and I'll let your brainless boyfriend go with only a few scrapes."

"No! I won't give them to you! I'm their mistress. They won't oblige to anyone but me!" Sakura yelled hotly. She watched Syaoran get to his feet shakily. He released his sword and stepped toward Orion.

"A Li Clan sword? Hmm, I should have known. You look just like your father." Orion mused.

"What? How do you know about my father?" Syaoran growled at the magician who laughed in response.

"I know a lot more about what happened to your old man then you are led to believe. Unfortunately you'll never find out. Now stop distracting me already and just die." Orion closed his eyes and muttered a few words. He reopened them and grinned to Syaoran, his blue eyes glittering slyly.

"Bye bye." Orion chirped, waving gaily. Sakura watched in horror as a bolt of lightning shot from the sky and struck Syaoran. He shook for a moment and then fell to the ground, limp as a dead fish.

"Syaoran!" Sakura screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. With a fiery temper, she bit Orion's wrist as hard as she could. As a reflex, he released his grip and Sakura ran away from him and turned to face Orion again who was staring at the teeth marks in his flesh.

"You're a freaking vampire!" Orion screeched, holding his wrist with his other hand, "Oh my dear, you'll have to pay for that." Orion flicked his other wrist and a ball of crackling energy appeared floating above his palm. He threw it up in the air and it shot forwards at Sakura. Sakura ducked and threw herself to the ground, dodging the missile. Sakura rolled over and got to her feet but found instead of another attack, Orion was wielding a happy little smile.

"You may be weak and pitiful… but it won't stop me from loving you." Orion said, looking up to meet her eyes.

"W-what?" Sakura stuttered, confused and feeling nauseous.

"Oh Sakura, it's no wonder that Syaoran is madly in love with you although you're too dense to notice. But now that he's long dead, I'm the best thing you have." Orion stepped towards her lasciviously and filled the space between them.

"Get away from me you monster. I would never even have even spoken with you if I had known what you were, you wicked creature. You're pure evil." Sakura spat tearfully. She stepped backwards but was stopped by a lamppost.

"Come on. I'm dark, dangerous, sexy and smart. Every girl would just die to be my girlfriend. Just give me the Cards and together we can be the richest people in the world. We could live in Tokyo or the US or wherever you want. Just give them to me and all your problems will be solved." Orion whispered into her ear. Suddenly her stare turned empty and her face went blank of all emotion.

"Ah, the wonders of hypnotism." Orion mused with a cunning grin, "Let's have a little fun shall we?"

Though her body was being controlled, Sakura's mind was free of such treachery. _'What is he going to do to me?'_ Orion ran his fingers through the vacant Sakura's matted hair. His hand slipped down to her face and cupped her cheek for a moment and then slipped down her back. With his other hand, he slowly undid each buttons of her coat and threw it off and onto the ground. _'Why didn't he grab the cards? They're in Syaoran's coat. Wait, oh my god did he just grab my-'_ Orion's hand reached her bottom and squeezed it gently. With his other hand, he reached up her shirt, took it off and threw it to the ground.

"You're so beautiful. How I long for you to be mine." Orion cooed, smirking maliciously at the thoughts of what he might do to her. Suddenly a devilish idea flooded his mind. He began kissing her collarbone and made his way down, kissing around her breasts and then down to her bellybutton. _'Oh god, what is he doing? Is that his hand going up my leg'? _Sakura wailed for help in her mind. _'He's reaching up my skirt. Please don't go any farther, please!' _

Orion slid his hand up Sakura's smooth leg, past her skirt and up to her groin. _Please don't do it! _His fingers played with the strap on her underwear and were beginning to move to more sensitive areas. _'No! Go away!'_

"God of Thunder Hear My Call!" A deep voice rang from behind Orion. Something painful struck him and shook him senseless for a moment; just long enough to let the hypnotic hold on Sakura go. She fell back onto the ground, clutching herself with tears leaking from her eyes.

"You should be dead." Orion spat after recovering from the electrical shock, turning his head towards Syaoran and staring at him lividly.

"It takes a lot more to kill a Li. You should know since you killed my father, Magician Orion." Syaoran snarled as Orion got to his feet. Orion scowled.

"And how do you know my name you useless mortal?" Orion retorted back.

"A conspiracy plagued the Li Clan after the mysterious murder of my father and the suspect was the magician Orion. And as a young child I swore to avenge his spirit. It was not mere chance that we meet under such circumstance." Syaoran spoke clearly, each word articulated just to bother the weakened magician more.

Orion scowled. _'Li was a formidable opponent. I managed to kill him by the skin of my teeth. Now I have to deal with his son. Great, I'm going to feel this in the morning…if I wake up at all.' _

"Whatever. You'll perish just like your father. Say goodbye to your beloved Sakura." With that, Orion muttered a few words and a fiery ball flew towards Syaoran. Syaoran dodged it easily and shot multiple lightning bolts at Orion. He dodged most of them but one shocked his hand and numbed it out. Getting really pissed, Orion came at Syaoran with shinning blue orbs in his hands. He punched Syaoran in the ribs with his right fist and hit him again in the shoulder with the other. Exhausted from the usage of magic, Orion buckled over well behind the crumpled Li and wheezed for oxygen.

Syaoran squeezed his eyes together and tried to block out the searing pain in his ribs and in his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he got to his feet and focused his mind and energy, something his father had taught him long ago. He was about to attack the magician who hadn't noticed he'd risen again when he felt a soft touch on his good shoulder. He spun around and saw two teary emerald eyes staring up at him.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran whispered, the wind still knocked out of him from the blow to his ribs.

"I think so but you're certainly not. You need to get help." Sakura scanned Syaoran's body with concern written all over her beautiful face. Blood was seeping through his shirt and was dripping down his pant leg.

"We need to settle the matter at hand." Syaoran wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb and smiled as best he could. He noticed that she had put her shirt and coat back on. Orion heard the commotion and turned his attention back on the couple.

"Will you just die already?!" Orion spewed, wiping the sweat of his brow, "I'm getting bored! It would have been so much nicer if you had just given me those bloody cards!"

"You can't have them and you'll never get them!" Sakura yelled, transforming her staff and holding it in front of her. Sakura pulled out the Thunder Card and held it out in her hand. She released it and Syaoran released a multitude of lightning bolts simultaneously. They attacked the unguarded magician with combined force and watched him shake and tumble to the ground. He lay on the ground for a moment and then lifted his head, slowly and venomously.

"You'll pay for that you stupid mortals." Orion sneered, "Dragiin Yosee!" From Orion's palm sprung a dozen daggers that shot towards Syaoran and Sakura. Syaoran dived onto Sakura and pulled her down but not before a knife slit her flawless cheek. Safely out of harms way, she felt her throbbing cheek and brushed her finger against the deep, bleeding gash. Syaoran rolled off of her and cried out in pain, the agony in his ribs hurting worse than any pain he'd ever felt before. It was getting harder to breathe each moment that passed.

"Oh my god Syaoran! Don't leave me!" Sakura crawled over to Syaoran and held his face in her hands.

"I'll be fine. Finish him off for me." Syaoran wheezed, breathing hard now. Sakura nodded and got to her feet, staring at the magician across from her. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears and it seemed that time had unquestionably slowed. Orion slowly got to his feet inch by inch, his blue eyes glowing like a torch in the night. The storm above raged and blew, churning the cold air and chilling Sakura and everything around her. The rain that was falling from the skies was starting to freeze, making their battlegrounds slippery with sleet and ice. Sakura readied herself on her feet and held her staff out in front of her, shaking violently. _'The cards won't work against him. They can only aid me into trapping him. What spell can I use to defeat him?'_ Sakura gazed sidelong at Syaoran who was groaning on the ground. His body shook with tribulations. _'I've got to kill him! This magician must die! He's killed too many innocent souls and I won't let him get Syaoran too!'_ Sakura opened her mouth and stared the magician in the eyes, resisting the hypnotic vibes they were sending her. She blinked once and began.

"Mysterious force I bring you to thy end! Defuse your magic and disintegrate!" The light that exploded from the tip of Sakura's staff almost knocked her off her feet. Almost in slow motion, the beam of radiance enveloped the magician even as he tried to run away. It grasped him like a hand and wrapped him in a cocoon of power, slowly crushing the magician from the inside. He shrieked in agony but Sakura ignored his screams and continued the steady power. Finally, when Sakura was at her very last drop of power the cocoon exploded and Sakura was thrown backwards, light burning into her pupils and searing them. Sakura's own shriek intermingled with Orion's last words, echoing in the night. The only thing left of the famed Magician Orion was a pile of midnight blue sand being washed away in the falling rain.

Despite her body's crying protests, Sakura crawled over to Syaoran and collapsed right beside him and began to weep. All the events of the night had finally crashed into her mind. Syaoran's voice whispered comforting words into her ear as she let out the remainder of her energy through her muffled sobs. Once she had calmed down, she raised herself from the ground and stared into his amber eyes.

"How are you doing?" Sakura asked, pulling up Syaoran's blood soaked shirt. A wave of nausea flew over her as she eyed the wound on Syaoran's chest. Without hesitation she ripped off a good portion of his shirt and bunched it up around the wound to soak up the blood around his exposed rib bone.

"I can tell by your expression that it isn't too good." Syaoran mumbled, moaning when he felt something in his ribs grind together unnaturally.

"We need to call an ambulance. How is your shoulder?" She lifted his shirt up higher and noticed all the purple, black and yellow bruising.

"It doesn't feel broken but I know a few of my ribs are. An ambulance would be nice." Syaoran muttered. Sakura reached into her little purse and grabbed her pink cell phone. She stared at it and her face dropped.

"It's dead!" Sakura moaned, falling back onto the wet concrete, "What are we going to do?" Syaoran sighed in response but as a result started coughing, blood spurting from his blanched lips. Sakura grabbed her purse and put it under Syaoran's head as a pillow.

"You should go get help." Syaoran whispered a minute or two later. Sakura turned her head and frowned.

"I'm not leaving you in this state. You're in horrible shape and I don't think I can get back up. Fighting his hypnotism…" Sakura trailed off and shut her eyes, "H-he was touching me. Oh Syaoran, if you hadn't saved me…"Sakura trailed off again, tears falling from her closed eyes, "I thought you had died. Oh Syaoran, if you had died I don't know what would do…" Sakura trailed off for the last time that night and fell asleep soon after.

For Syaoran it wasn't that easy to fall asleep. The pain that was radiating from his ribs started making his whole body shudder, not that the cold rain was helping any. His muscles were tense from lying rigid for so long and he felt heavier than lead. A throbbing sensation pulsated through his body making his bones rattle and his mind ache. He drifted in and out of restless sleep but awoke right in time to hear the sirens wailing.

**c**

**AHHH! WHAT'S THIS? ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER? MUAHAHAHA!**

**Thanks to:**

**soibean123**

**Boheme**

**Tam-Chan (bwahaha! My favourite part in that movie is the mobster scene with Don Giovani and his lizard. That part makes me laugh every time.)**

**lucky aries**

**Shimo and Umi (HAHAHAHAHA!)**

**Mooniesrule**

**SailorInu1**

**Sakura-cha (I know!)**

**lil wolf lover**

**Firefairie93**

**Rhapsody (Oh man. I'm gonna visit you right now. Actually call me and we'll set up a date)**

**SnowCharms**

**Mekena**

**Miss.Redi (sweet! I'm excited to see it!)**

**COWABUNGA! My buddy just told me the news! My favourite childhood TV show is coming out with a new movie! (well favourite next to CCS) Can you guys guess what show it is...? EEE Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!!! Woww. I am sooo lame. Too bad. They are the coolest heroes in a half shell ever. TURTLE POWER!**

**This is the second last chapter darlings. The conclusion shall cometh.**

**Oh, right. I am expecting SUPER reviews right now. You guys better beat 16 or else I won't be happy and may prolong the conclusion of All Along until I get the number I desire. So review, my pretties, review!**

**By the way, the reason why I named this fic All Along was in this chapter. If any of you caught onto that, I am very proud of you. The same line is used by Syaoran in Mistletoe Madness 2006.**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


	33. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Times Like These**

**Sunday Afternoon…**

"Sakura…Sakura…" A soft voice could be heard, floating in the air and into Sakura's ears but it sounded so far away; miles away. Sakura stirred in her sleep and slowly reality sunk into her mind and she became alert to the world outside her dreamless rest, "Sakura…Wake up sleepy…" Sakura slowly opened her eyes and gazed around as her vision slowly focused. The whiteness of the room was enough to blind her. Her eyes throbbed and she wondered what had happened to make them so sore. The memories of the struggle with Orion suddenly came to mind.

"Syaoran!" Sakura shrieked, suddenly sitting upright. Her guest, the one who had been calling her from what seemed like far away, was thrown backwards from surprise.

"Welcome back Sakura!" Tomoyo exclaimed, her smiling face appearing at the foot of her bed. Sakura stared in astonishment and scratched her head.

"W-What happened?" Sakura asked, confusion written all over her face, "How did I get here? Am I in a hospital?"

"Yes you are Miss. You've been here in Tomoeda General for a day and a half now." A nurse suddenly appeared from the doorway and set a glass of water down on Sakura's bedside table. Sakura gawked at her.

"I've been sleeping for a day and a half?" Sakura said with her jaw dropped.

"Yes. You were in a horrible state when we found you," The nurse shook her head sadly, "I'm glad you're feeling better Miss." The nurse smiled and walked to the doorway, "Just holler if you need anything!" She disappeared out the door and was gone.

"What on earth happened to me? How did I end up here? Who found us? Oh my god! Where the hell is Syaoran? Is he alright? Is he alive?" Sakura almost jumped out of her bed with panic, throwing questions this way and that at Tomoyo. She just smiled, got to her feet and closed the door the nurse had left open.

"Okay. We'll start at the end of your questions. Yes, Syaoran is alive. He got out of surgery yesterday and is doing just fine though he's so doped up I don't think he's going to wake up anytime soon.

"What?" Sakura looked sceptically at Tomoyo.

"They were saying something about an electric charge and they were really confused because it looked like he was struck by lightning."

"That's because he was. But that's beside the point-"

"What?!" Kero exploded out of Tomoyo's bag and zoomed straight into Sakura's face, "Struck by lightning?"

"Yes! Now will you get on with the point Tomoyo?" Sakura exclaimed, anxious to hear about Syaoran.

"I think she's adopted some of Syaoran's more 'charming' attributes." Tomoyo muttered into Kero's ear. Kero nodded and sat down on Sakura's bed, "They had to pump a lot of drugs into him. He was all tense and stuff from the electricity shock. But he's fine really, he'll be healthy in a little bit. He broke four ribs you know. He was lucky he didn't puncture a lung."

Sakura listened intently, watching Tomoyo with widened eyes.

"After the storm had passed at around 9:30-ish, someone was walking through the parking lot amidst all the wreckage and found you two, crumpled and unconscious, laying there right in the middle of the lot. They called an ambulance and you both were rushed into extensive care, especially Syaoran. If he had been out there an hour longer he would have been out of the doctor's reach." Tomoyo explained.

"Oh my gosh…" Sakura looked crestfallen. She groaned and bent her legs a little bit. They were thickly bandaged and covered with gauze. Kero floated over to her and sat down into her lap, "Are you feeling better Kero? I'm glad you're moving and talking again."

"Yeah. It was some device of Orion's to try and keep me out of the scene for as long as possible. Turned out it worked." Kero replied, hanging his head.

"It's okay Kero," Sakura gathered the humbled beast in her arms and embraced him gently; "You were facing your own battles while I was facing mine."

"What happened to the magician? Is he still alive?" Tomoyo asked anxiously. Sakura shook her head.

"No. He's dead," Sakura brushed her fingers over the throbbing bandaged gash on her cheek and winced. _'That's going to leave a mark.'_

"I'm glad to hear that. Yue was very worried he was still at large. We had no way of knowing if he was dead or not." Kero said taking his place on Sakura's shoulder.

"SAKURA!" The door burst open and Chalandra dived onto Sakura's bed, her eyes dampened with tears, "I'm so sorry! I failed you! I'm so sorry I wasn't dere to tear out dat wicked magician's heart!" Chali growled defiantly and then burst out again in tears.

"It's alright Chali." Sakura whispered, trying to console the bawling feline girl despite her own shocked-ness. Tomoyo just smiled and gently pried Chalandra off of Sakura. She sat Chalandra down on a chair and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Is he dead?" Chali managed to say through sniffs and sobs. Sakura nodded and smiled.

"He's dead. He's a pile of dust that washed away in the rain."

"I'm glad. I would have gone out right now and killed him if he wasn't already dead." Chali growled and wiped her eyes. Tomoyo handed her a tissue.

"So what exactly happened Sakura?" Tomoyo asked, moving her chair closer to Sakura's bed so that she could hear everything. Sakura closed her eyes and sighed.

"The storm began while we were in Penguin park and we panicked. We figured Syaoran's place was closer and we ran that way. Syaoran led me through an empty parking lot as a short cut to his home but I tripped and fell. He came up behind us, the Magician Orion but he looked like Ryan."

"Ryan? You mean that boy from school?" Tomoyo gasped.

"Magician Orion is a master shape shifter. That teenager was one of his most used concealments." Kero deemed.

"Ryan transformed into the Magician Orion. He was after the Cards but I wouldn't give them to him. Syaoran got protective-"

"Not surprising." Tomoyo muttered. Sakura waited until she was done before she continued.

"Orion somehow made Syaoran go flying out of his way and landed a few meters away. He released his sword and there was a discussion I didn't really catch about Syaoran's father. Orion got a horrible look in his eyes and a lightning bolt fell from the sky and shocked him. I thought he was dead!" A few tears sprung from Sakura's eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Tomoyo held Sakura hand in hers and Kero rubbed her back gently. They could all see the mental strain Sakura was in and Tomoyo was beginning to regret asking her to tell her story.

"Orion was holding me by the wrists and I bit him and got away but he shot a ball of energy at me. I fell to the ground, barely dodging it but when I got up he was smiling at me and he…he…he did something to me I never wish to speak of again." Sakura's expression darkened and more tears fell from her eyes. Tomoyo could only imagine the horrible things someone so wicked would do to a beautiful girl like her.

"Then Syaoran got up somehow and he zapped the monster. He let me go from his hypnotic hold and-"

"I forgot about his knack with hypnotism. That's how he got the Black Sapphire you know. He hypnotized the guards and stole it right from under their noses." Kero explained. Sakura was confused about the Black Sapphire subject but decided to keep quiet and ask about it later.

"Syaoran accused Orion of murdering his father and Orion made no effort to deny it. He was really angry and came at Syaoran with these orbs in his hands and punched him in the ribs and in the shoulder. That's how he broke his ribs I guess. The magician was very tired and almost spent. I put my shirt and Syaoran's jacket back on and scampered over to Syaoran who had just gotten to his feet. We attacked Orion with a combined force using lightning."

"I can't believe it. Electrified, now with four broken ribs and he was still able to function?" Tomoyo gaped. Even Kero looked impressed. Chalandra's expression hadn't changed; she was still staring at Sakura with her jaw dropped and eyes wide.

"The magician was really angry now and shot daggers at us. Syaoran dived on top of me but one got my cheek and sliced it. Syaoran cried out and he started bleeding really badly and he told me to finish him off."

"Finally the brat gives in." Kero mumbled. Sakura gazed at him sadly and Kero shut up immediately, suddenly felt very guilty.

"I used my disintegration spell that I've used all along against him and it killed him. I passed out beside Syaoran and I remember no more." Sakura looked downwards and the dark circles under her eyes seemed to get a lot more foncé.

"Wow…" Tomoyo managed to say, Sakura's story as a whole overwhelming her. For once she was glad that she didn't have that adventure on tape.

"I think I'm going to go to sleep now. Do you mind?" Sakura whispered.

"No. Sweet dreams." Tomoyo gave Sakura's hand a soft squeeze and started walking out with Chali beside her. Chali waved and smiled sympathetically, her eyes welling up again with tears.

"Good night." Kero patted Sakura on the forehead and then flew off into Tomoyo's handbag. Sakura fell asleep less than a minute or two after that, feeling so stretched after telling the story of that night's events. It was a story she never wanted to tell again.

**c**

The weight on the world lifted a little bit after that. That little bit of extra yang ridden from the world was enough to set off the beginning of the harmony the lock and key of destiny were meant to deliver. Brandon, the young adult that had been forced to make the bet with the Magician Orion, was a free man again. There was no promise of death that hung over his family's head any longer. The next day, Brandon's wife Chelsea told him the news that he was going to be a father. It was the best news he had received in a very long time.

**c**

Tomoyo returned home and sat on her bed, her heart heavy with the evils that Sakura had endured. Kero floated out of Tomoyo's bag in a gloomy state of mind and collapsed on a pillow.

"I can't believe it." Tomoyo blurted, "Syaoran was struck by lightning, had four broken ribs and he was still able to stand."

"I must admit, that boy has some strength." Kero replied. A voice entered his thoughts. _'Has the lock of destiny proven himself to you yet?'_ Kero growled inwardly at Yue.

'_No! He's still a brat.'_ Kero replied weakly, knowing his comeback wasn't very great.

'_But he's a very strong and a very powerful brat to say the least.'_

'_Gah. Shut up. I hate it when you're right.'_

'_Well I was made to be the smart one.' _Kero could almost feel the grin growing on Yue's face.

'_GAH! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!'_ Kero shook his head violently as if he was trying to shake Yue out of his brain.

"Are you alright Kero?" Tomoyo asked, staring at him with confusion written all over her gorgeous face.

"Just fine." Kero muttered through gritted teeth, "Just fine."

**c**

"I can't believe it." Touya muttered blankly, "He should have been dead."

"But he isn't dead and that's the important thing." Yukito replied happily, sitting down beside Touya in their hotel room. They were way down south in Japan's archipelagos and had no way of returning home until Wednesday. Fujitaka had called Touya and had told him that Sakura was in the hospital. Both he and Yukito booked the next flight possible back to Tomoeda.

"Is he even human?" Touya exclaimed, waving his arms around in a state of disbelief. Yue had filled Yukito in on the vague details he was able to discover from Cerberus.

"For God sake's Touya, yes he is a human. He's made of tougher stuff than you will let yourself believe. But no, you're too stubborn to think of letting anyone stronger then you take your kid sister's heart. Remember when I told you that you have a sister complex? Well I still mean it!"

**c**

"Still, I feel so bad." Chalandra whispered, a portable phone glued to her ear. Camlo was listening intently on another phone to the words being spoken.

"It's alright my dear. What matters is that both the lock and key of destiny are safe and not in any trouble in the meantime. You did your best and have helped them on many occasions. You should be proud dear daughter on you accomplishments." Patia's clear voice rang through the receiver, her voice unaccented unlike her children.

"Dank you Moder." Chalandra replied through her head still hung low.

"And you too dearest Camlo. I am very proud of your evolving powers. I knew they would shine through at some point."

"Dank you Moder." Camlo replied happily, glad he was not feeling the same shame as Chalandra. It was her job after all to protect Sakura and Syaoran and not his.

"Now it is time for new issues to be addressed. My children, problems will arise to threaten the Mistress of the Clow and the Li Clan heir. It is up to both of you to watch over them and help them in their time of need. You must embrace this new responsibility Camlo, not resent it," Patia explained somehow knowing that Camlo was scowling about his new accountability, "I must leave you now for I am weak and I must speak with Yuko."

"You still meet wid dat witch?" Chalandra asked.

"Yes," Patia replied, "She has been keeping me informed on the goings on in this world and in others. She is a very important ally and a close friend to me. Goodbye my dear children. I will speak again with you soon. Until then, I love you and I wish you a good night."

"Good night Moder." Camlo and Chalandra replied in unison. They hung up their phones and sighed. They could only imagine the wicked tidings the future might bring.

**c**

Sakura woke to a quiet and darkened room. She opened her eyes and gazed over at the clock on her bedside table. It read 2:20AM. Sakura sat up and gazed out the window at the stars, twinkling in the twilight. Sakura swung her legs out of bed and rubbed her sleepy eyes. _'I'm so tired and hungry. I feel as if I haven't eaten in days. Oh wait. I haven't eaten in days.'_ Sakura put her bare feet on the cool ground and shuddered. _'Maybe I could find a nurse and ask her to get me something'. _She walked across the concrete tile flooring of her room and opened the door to the hall as quietly as she could. She poked her head out the door and looked around. _'There's nobody in the hall. Maybe if I just walk down the hall I might find someone'. _She stepped out into the hallway and walked to the floor lobby. She stepped silently into the lobby and she still saw no one there. _'Where is everybody?'_ She walked over the lobby desk and sat down at the computer table by an unoccupied computer. _'Maybe I could find where a nurse is using this.' _She shook the mouse and the screensaver disappeared revealing a menu page. She scrolled down the page but found no 'Nurse Locator' but something else popped out that caught her eye. _'It won't hurt if I at least know where he is.' _

Sakura typed 'Li Syaoran' into the bar and then clicked the 'Locate Patient' button beside it. The computer buzzed for a moment and then 5 names came up. Li Syaoran was among them. She clicked on it and the machine buzzed again.

**Li Syaoran**

**Sex: Male**

**Age: 17**

**Room #: 219**

Sakura looked up from the computer and gazed towards the guidance signs on the walls.

** - 200-230 231-260 - **

Quietly Sakura got up from the chair and tiptoed back out into the hall. Her interests had suddenly changed. Instead of trying to finding a nurse, she was trying to avoid one so she could find Syaoran. She walked quickly and silently down the hall and followed it past the turn. She started passing doors with numbers.

**230, 229, 228…**

Sakura started walking a little faster, anticipation of seeing Syaoran again fuelling her stride. She skidded around a turn and stopped dead in her tracks. _'JANITOR!'_ She ran back behind the wall and peeked around the corner. _'Oh good. He's leaving.' _The janitor disappeared into a room and Sakura dashed across the concrete tile floor.

**227, 226, 225…**

Sakura stopped right before the janitor's room and peaked in. The janitor was rinsing out his mop, not paying any attention to the open door. Sakura tiptoed across and then gunned it down the rest of the corridor.

**222, 221, 220…**

She skidded to a halt and gazed up at the white hospital door.

**219**

As quietly as she could, Sakura twisted the door's handle and slowly pushed it open. She squeezed through the crack and almost silently closed the door behind her. She spun around and her expression softened when she saw Syaoran's sleeping form; the sheets that lay on his chest moving up and down. Sakura ran over and brushed the hair from his face and she stared down at his peaceful visage with admiration and love. She wondered if Syaoran was just as crazy about her as she was for him. She sat on the edge on his bed and took his hand in hers and rubbed it with her thumb gently.

"Hey Syaoran," Sakura whispered, rubbing a little bit of dirt off of his cheek, "Thank you for saving me. I-I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't. I thought you were dead, I really did." She stifled a quiet sob and a tear trickled down her cheek, "But you're alive and I'm so grateful for it. I don't think I could have dealt with losing you again." Sakura brought her hand up to her eyes and wiped some unshed tears away, "When you left for Hong Kong way back when, I didn't know what to do. Your letters and our phone calls were always so short. You were always so busy with the Clan. What really brought you back here? Was it really because you felt something horrible happening here or was it to get away from the Clan? Always in your head were little shreds of memory, about how much you resented the responsibility of the Li Clan heir," Sakura could see the dignity in his looks, the important-ness in his visage, "You turn eighteen this summer. Is that when you'll have to leave? To return back to your Clan where you are to be the leader?" A few more tears fell from Sakura's eyes, "You'll have to leave again and rip my heart to pieces. Goddamn it. Why did I have to fall in love with you again? Wait, I never stopped falling in love with you." While Sakura sobbed in the night of the room, two orbs of amber lit up through the darkness and stared up at the Emerald Eyed Angel sitting on his bed. He lifted his hand and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. Sakura's eyes opened with surprise and gaped at Syaoran who had one of his rare smiles playing on his lips.

"I told you that I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and I meant it," Syaoran said, the grin on his lips getting wider. Sakura smiled and giggled happily, the tears from her eyes falling for joy instead of sorrow, "And by the way, I never stopped being in love with you either." Sakura stopped in shock and stared at Syaoran. He shrugged slightly with his uninjured shoulder and shot her a wolfish smirk. Sakura's look of disbelief suddenly turned into a look of delight and she impulsively lowered her head and planted her lips on his.

Syaoran was taken back for a moment but then quickly returned the kiss. _'Sakura!' _His fingers crept towards her shoulders, up the nape of her neck and then buried themselves in her dishevelled golden hair. After a moment or two of tasting Sakura's sweet lips he parted his own lips slightly and licked her bottom lip, begging for entrance. More than willing to comply, Sakura let Syaoran's tongue slip into her mouth. Sakura moved her body closer, careful not to press too hard onto Syaoran's bandaged and broken body. She moaned softly as she savoured Syaoran's tongue exploring her mouth and she grinned blissfully into the kiss. She put her own tongue in action and massaged his tongue with hers playfully. Syaoran groaned longingly and angled her head slightly, giving him more access to her mouth. He bit her lip gently and Sakura exclaimed in ecstasy, grabbing hold of Syaoran's hair.

Sakura was first to pull away and gasp for air. She stared into Syaoran's tired eyes that glowed with a sudden radiance, as if a fire inside had suddenly been kindled. Sakura buried her face into Syaoran's neck that laid upon his pillow and snuggled up to him tenderly.

'_Sakura…'_ Syaoran whispered in his mind.

'_Yes?'_ Sakura replied without lifting her head. Syaoran turned his head and they lightly bumped noses. Sakura giggled and rubbed her nose against his, genuinely happy. He grinned, another one of his rare displays, and rested his hand on her cheek and stroked it gently.

'_I love you…'_ Syaoran whispered, slowly dozing off.

'_Oh Syaoran, I love you too!'_ Sakura kissed his lips softly. She shimmied herself on his bed and cuddled in beside Syaoran. She fell asleep listening to his gentle breathing, somehow knowing that beside him was where she was meant to be.

**c**

The next morning a nurse came into room 219 to check on its patient and she eyed the tender sight upon the hospital bed. Another nurse came in behind her and her face softened as well. The first nurse walked a little closer to the bed and sighed blissfully.

"Look at them." The first nurse whispered to the second nurse. She followed over and smiled.

"Look at the smiles on their faces." The second nurse tilted her head and got a passionate twinkle in her eyes.

"It's a breath of fresh air to see something so pure in times like these." The first nurse said. Syaoran squeezed Sakura's hand a little tighter.

"Yes, yes it is."

**c**

**OMG! THE END HAS COME!**

**Thank you to everyone that has reviewed during this story. A good deal of your reviews has helped me become a better writer and I appreaciate all the wonderful complements you have given me. **

**Thanks to these reviewers from the last chapter**

**lucky aries**

**Boheme**

**soibean123**

**Fly**

**lil wolf lover**

**SnowCharms**

**Mooniesrule**

**caw122182**

**SailorInu1**

**Mekena (yay fellow TMNT fan!)**

**BlackbeltTKD**

**Miss.Redi**

**cherushiichan**

**Rhapsody**

**Sakura-cha**

**So here marks the end of All Along but I guarantee there will be more to come. Unfortunatly I broke my hand and this is being typed by my buddy Rhapsody (hiyaa!). Don't expect my new story up for a few weeks because I have to give my wrist/fingers some time to heal and I write everything into my book (I broke my dominant hand by the way). **

**I was kind of dissapointed by the reviews I recieved for chapter 27, the problem being that the fight scene wasn't long enough. Well as you all will learn soon enough, Orion wasn't really worth a long fight scene. Sakura beat him pretty easy at the end anyway. But that is for you to learn and for me to know as I continue what will eventually turn into a chronicle or saga or whatever you might want to call it. **

**My next story will be called...**

**Stranger Than Fiction**

**(it has nothing to do with the 2006 movie)**

**It's basically a shorter story to build up a fan base and to introduce new characters for the story that will be after. Of course character growth is a biggie in this story and our favourite main characters will be experiencing some new feelings...and I'll leave it like that.**

**I'll see ya in a few weeks. Please review or else...this story might not show up for a while.**

**Muahahahahaha!**

**Love and fluff, Bronte**


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